Peripheral Vision on Choral Singing: Practical and Didactical Proposals

Abstract

Humans can focus their attention upon a visual location while capturing information from peripheral involvement. This is particularly important in activities where decisive stimuli appear along our visual field. This is the case of sports, car driving and, as we sustain, choir singing. Singing in a choir implies, frequently, dividing attention for, at least, music sheet and conductor. In fact, despite the ideal situation would be not having to focus on the music sheet, allocating all attentional and perceptive resources to the conductor, not always the music is so well known and decorated that allows this total liberation. Thus, we propose the use of some strategies to maximize the use of peripheral vision. Conductor’s position vis-a-vis the choral singers, amplitude and placing of his gestures, color of clothing to wear and positioning of the choral singers’ music sheet are some of those. Implications for educational purposes are stated.