Wis, Ramona

Gesture and Body Movement as Physical Metaphor to Facilitate Learning and to Enhance Musical Experience in the Choral Rehearsal
The purpose of this study was to investigate how the use of gesture and movement in the choral rehearsal may function as physical metaphor in order to facilitate learning and to enhance musical experience.

The rationale behind movement-based activities in music education programs has largely rested on the Piagetian premise that bodily-based learning is appropriate and desirable for young children. Recent investigations into the nature of cognition have, however, begun to re-examine the role the body plays in every aspect of the cognitive process, regardless of one’s age. Mark Johnson and George Lakoff have argued that (1) cognition is not only inseparable from, but also dependent upon, bodily experience; and (2) metaphor provides the link between the concrete, bodily domain and the abstract, conceptual domain. Previous studies on movement in the choral setting have focused on testing the effectiveness of movement activities; however, virtually no theoretical foundation has been laid to support the use of such activities. This study was designed to develop that foundation, primarily through the review and synthesis of literature on the body and on metaphor. Documentation and discussion of the movement activities of two choral directors who regularly use bodily-based learning in their rehearsals were included to provide an empirical realization for the practical application of a movement-based choral teaching pedagogy. Together, the theoretical foundation for, and documentation of, movement activities may provide a stronger platform for the later development and testing of a movement-based choral pedagogy.

Conclusions from this study include: (1) movement activities make use of the choral singer’s natural inclination towards bodily-based learning and allow for the freedom and energy inherent in everyday activities to be metaphorically transferred to the singing process; (2) movement activities may encourage more active participation on the part of the singer and can provide a visible accountability system for the learning that goes on in the choral rehearsal, (3) movement activities are less subject to misinterpretation than words and are better able to capture the ineffable qualities of music.

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