Orchestral conducting motion capture data

Abstract

## Overview ## This data set includes 54 items of motion capture data in C3D format, featuring recordings of orchestral conductors’ physical movements. These were collected in the biomechanics laboratory at the Institute for Sport, Physical Education and Health Sciences (ISPEHS), University of Edinburgh, UK in November 2015. This data set is a part of the submission of Yu-Fen Huang’s PhD project, ‘Connecting orchestral conductors’ interpretational intentions to conducting movement kinematics: A mixed-methods approach using Deviation Point Analysis’ (Reid School of Music, & Institute for Sport, Physical Education and Health Sciences, University of Edinburgh).

## Aims ## The aims of this project were to provide empirical observations on the kinematic features evident in orchestral conducting practise, and to explore the connection between conducting movement kinematics with compositional features and conductors’ interpretative intentions.

## Data collection and analysis ## A part of the analysis of this data set is reported in Huang, Coleman, Barnhill, MacDonald, Moran (2017). 'How do orchestral conducting movement kinematics communicate musical structures and interpretational intentions?' Psychomusicology, 27(3), 148-157. Please refer to this publication for the data collection procedure.

This current data collection comprises the original orchestral conducting movements recorded using a 9-camera Qualisys system when six conductors were conducting three items of repertoire by Mozart, Dvořák, and Bartók with a small string ensemble (3 trials x 3 repertoire x 6 conductors= 54 items).

## Permissions ## All six participants consented to share the recordings with research professionals. The recordings may be of interest to researchers examining movement associated with expressive and communicative performance, therefore they are shared here with the intention of further academic research. The recordings are not permitted to be used for commercial, artistic, or entertainment purposes.