Abstract

Body movements and gestures that accompany singing have become potent tools in the teaching and learning of singing. However, the underlying psychomotor mechanisms responsible for the enhancement of vocal technique through the use of movements and gestures have not yet been examined in detail. This article therefore proposes an explanatory model, namely, the attentional focus effect, and links key assumptions and insights from motor learning and performance research about the effects of different attentional foci on motor skill performance with the practice of using movement while singing. Music-related studies on attentional focus effects have shown that an internal focus of attention on the vocal mechanism (or movement components of singing such as lip movements) does not actually enhance precision or overall performance. An external focus of attention, for example, on the sound produced, was found to have an optimizing influence on vocal performance. Thus, aiming at conceptual development, it will be argued that body movements and gestures promote an external focus of attention because vocalists coordinate, watch, and kinesthetically perceive their movements, which directs attention away from the movement components of singing. This external focus may result in the recruitment of automated control processes of voice production, less self-evaluation, and more effective performance in general.