A pilot study on the efficacy of line-of-sight gestural compensation while conducting music.

Music ensemble playing relies heavily on a conductor's gestural cues. Visibility of those cues varies within the ensemble, so conductors typically use compensation strategies selectively to improve the clarity of their gestures for different players. Currently, there are no quantitative studies evaluating the efficacy of such compensatory strategies. The present pilot study examined the effectiveness of one typical strategy, namely, twisting or turning to address different sections of an ensemble. The method used three-dimensional motion capture and biomechanical modeling to quantify line-of-sight visibility of the conductor from the viewpoint of ensemble players. Results established a visually advantaged quadrant within the ensemble. They further showed that optimizing visual communication may require less turning than commonly believed.