Gaze behavior of a cellist: From sight-reading to performance

This study used eye-tracking technology to investigate the gaze behavior of an expert musician while learning a newly composed piece of contemporary classical cello music from the initial sight-reading of the score to a performance run-through. Unlike previous research relying on self-report and observation, this study combined analyses of physiological data and the musician’s reported thought processes, offering a more comprehensive understanding of the learning-to-performance journey. The subject of investigation was the second movement (Introspection) of Resonance for solo cello by Jill Jarman. A combination of frame-by-frame and automated analysis of eye-tracking data allowed the capture of significant amounts of data across three data-collection points. Patterns of learning relating to technical challenges were displayed for this cellist across the recorded sessions, and initial links between self-reported thinking, cognitive processing, and the resulting recorded performance sessions were explored. Results provided preliminary insights into connections between perception, cognition, and performance, and advanced-level music learning approaches and performance practices.