Interperformer coordination in piano-singing duo performances: phrase structure and empathy impact

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Music Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Musicians' body motion is crucial for ensemble performance, aiding sound production, communication, and expressivity.
• Understanding the interplay between non-verbal cues, musical structure, and social dynamics in ensembles is key.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between Western classical musicians' head motion, musical phrase structure, and empathic perspective taking (EPT).
• To explore how EPT profiles influence leader-follower dynamics within musical duos.

Main Methods:

• Collected motion capture data of head movements, audio, and MIDI from 24 advanced piano and singing students performing rehearsed pieces.
• Analyzed head motion coordination using cross-wavelet transforms to assess similarity and leader-lag tendencies.
• Formed duos based on high and low EPT scores (measured by the Interpersonal Reactivity Index).

Main Results:

• Interperformer coordination in head motion aligns with the hierarchical levels of a musical piece's phrase structure.
• Singer's EPT significantly impacts leader-follower relationships, varying by musical piece and performance take.
• Specific findings in Fauré's piece showed EPT influencing singer-pianist leadership tendencies in different performance takes.

Conclusions:

• Head motion coordination is intrinsically linked to musical phrase structure in ensembles.
• Empathy plays a complex role in modulating leadership and follower dynamics between musicians.
• This research deepens the understanding of social interaction mechanisms, particularly the connection between empathy and body movement in musical groups.