“SEEING IS BELIEVING”: THE IMPORTANCE OF VISUAL FACTORS IN MUSIC PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT
“SEEING IS BELIEVING”: THE IMPORTANCE OF VISUAL FACTORS IN MUSIC PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT

Summary/Abstract: In the artistic field, music performance assessment has developed along the years rather intuitively and through experience and tradition than through the process of scientific evidence. In order to approach music performance assessment through a more objective perspective, researchers have investigated the way visual factors influence evaluators’ opinion regarding the quality of the artistic act. The purpose of the present study is to synthetize the most relevant international experiments which had focused on visual factors’ influence over music performance assessment. Although many international competitions still use listening to the vocal or instrumental performer behind a curtain, with the intention of obtaining a more objective evaluation, it has been discovered that the simple fact of seeing the performer enhances inter-rater consensus (Ryan & Costa-Giomi, 2004). Also assessing audio-video music performance recordings tends to determine higher scores, in comparison to assessing the same recordings in audio format only (Gillespie, 1997, Lychner, 2008, Wapnick et al, 2004). Some elements such as the visual cues related to gender, race or attractivity level has significantly modified evaluators scores on music performance (Wapnick et al, 1998, 2000, Ryan & Costa-Giomi, 2004). The way performers are dressed (Griffiths, 2009) or move during music performance (Juchniewicz, 2008, Davidson, 2007) tend to influence music performance assessment, especially when the repertoire is also included. Educational implications of the present study refer to students’ preparations for national and international competitions, which will prove to be more efficient if the music teachers would also take into consideration the psychological factors of music performance assessment.

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