Movement, Gesture, and Singing: A Review of Literature

Abstract

The purpose of this review of literature was to explore intersections between movement and gesture, and to examine their effects on singing. Music educators have long championed the integration of movement into music instruction. The effects of movement have been studied and correlations found between an individual singer’s intonation, internal pulse, and tone quality. The incorporation of movement activities into choral rehearsals has shown a significant level of perceived benefits by singers. The conducting gesture as a form of aesthetic movement has also been examined. One factor consistently reported is a relationship between the intentional use of movement in rehearsal and increased engagement. Additionally, movement has also been found to share a meaningful link with music and emotion. Movement and music both illustrate abstract emotional concepts and can aid in the formation of concrete relationships between them. Recommendations for music educators and suggestions for future research are provided.

Error Detection in Music Education: A Review of Literature

“…For this review of literature, I examined research related to error detection in music education settings. I used recent studies that were similar in nature to develop a protocol for finding and selecting literature for the current project (Kilpatrick, 2020; Noon, 2019). To find studies for this review, I searched for peer-reviewed articles, doctoral dissertations, master’s theses, and book chapters using the following databases: ERIC, JSTOR, Music Index Online, APA PsycINFO, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.…”