The effect of kinesthetic support on the expressive performance of young singers

Research findings have indicated that movement can be a powerful tool when teaching rhythm, pitch, and expressive skills. The concept of using movement to enhance musical expression has been a topic of discourse in practitioner articles and mentioned as a strategy in several studies where teachers were observed in choral rehearsals. Yet, a singular focus on how kinesthetic support affects expressive performance remains scarce. Consequently, the primary aim of this research was to investigate what effect, if any, did the use of kinesthetic support throughout the learning sequence have on expressive performance scores. Sixth-grade choir students learned two songs using a prerecorded learning sequence. One sequence included kinesthetic support (i.e., hand movements) to reinforce the expressive qualities of the song, and one did not. We found a significant difference between sequences. When students learned a song using contrasting kinesthetic supports for legato/staccato and forte/piano, their expressiveness scores were higher. Teachers should consider including kinesthetic supports to help reinforce the expressive qualities of a song. Classroom application, limitations, and further research are discussed.