An Analysis of Body Movement on Music Expressivity Using Motion Capture

In this study, we tried to examine empirically how body motion contributes to music expressivity, both in terms of intensity and manners, during impromptu jazz performances. Psychological rating experiments showed that music expressivity in jazz performances are assessed in two aspects, namely power and aesthetic quality. In the assessment of musical performances, the music itself basically contributed to how observers evaluated its expressivity. However, it was also shown that body motion had a greater influence on assessing the quality of music in terms of "hard or soft" and "light or heavy. "As a result of the three-dimensional motion analysis using motion capture, we learned that the characteristics of the player\´s body motions changed with the playing style and the playing dynamics. The player, therefore, is making music not only by producing the "sound, " but by also showing "body motions" for creating that sound.