The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a videotaped model of a conductor, utilizing various left hand conducting gestures, on singers¹ anticipated inappropriate vocal tension levels, given the meaning interpreted from a gesture. Specifically, the potential of left hand conducting gestures to generate or prevent perceptions of inappropriate vocal tension was examined.

A stimulus tape was created including a control conducting condition (left hand, no change) and five experimental conducting conditions: (a) left hand, fisted gesture; (b) left hand, palm up; (c) left hand, palm down; (d) left hand stabbing gesture; and (e) left hand, sideways, phrase-shaping gesture. Participants (N=192) selected to evaluate the stimulus tape were members of university choral ensembles. Prior to evaluating the stimulus tape, participants were given a characterization of inappropriate vocal tension.

Results indicated that the mean anticipated tension levels for the fisted (M=6.35, SD=2.11) palm down (M=5.63, SD=2.35), and stabbing (M=6.00, SD=2.11) conducting conditions were greater than the mean anticipated tension level for the no change condition (M=4.11, SD=2.47). Results also indicated that the mean anticipated tension level for the sideways, phrase-shaping condition (M=3.01, SD=1.97) was significantly lower than the mean anticipated tension level for the no change condition (M=4.11, SD=2.47). There was no significant difference between anticipated tension levels for the palm up and no change conducting conditions.