An exploratory study of gazing behavior during live performance

Abstract

It is known that the visual information given by performers during a performance works as a useful channel of communication to the audience. In my previous studies, many performers referred to the importance of gazing behavior or eye contact. The purpose of this research is to explore the role of gaze during live performance by measuring the timing and direction of gazing. The hypotheses are as follows: [1] Gazing behavior depends on the musical structure. [2] Gazing behavior is used for the communication between performers which is necessary during performance. [3] Performers set their gazing direction in order to contribute to the audience’s understanding of the music. This research was essentially based on the observational method used in social psychological studies. A popular music band comprising four performers was observed and gazing via a behavior coding system was measured. The results showed that gazing behavior depends on the musical structure, the instruments and the respective roles of the performers. Thus, the results suggested that particular gazing behavior of performers often occurred just before important parts in the musical structure and performers directed their gaze toward the performer to whom they should pay attention in accordance with the musical structure. These results implied that gazing behavior plays important roles in both inter-performer and performer-to-audience communication.