Gaze Behaviour of a Cellist: From Sight-Reading to Performance

This study investigates the gaze behaviour of an expert musician while learning a completely new (newly composed) piece of music, from the initial reading to performance. Unlike previous research relying on self-report and observation, this study combines physiological data with the musician's reported thought processes, offering a more comprehensive understanding of the learning-to-performance journey. The subject of investigation is Introspection, the second movement of the solo cello piece Resonance by Jill Jarman. A professional cellist learned the piece over six weeks under controlled conditions, with gaze behaviour (i.e., search rate and pupillometry) and speech (talk aloud) closely monitored. Data analysis explored the relationships between self-reported thinking, cognitive processing, and recorded performances across three sessions held at three-week intervals. The third session, a mock performance was when data collection ceased in line with eye-tracking data collection practices as a single error was reported by the performer. Results provided preliminary insights into connections between perception, cognition, and performance, and advanced-level music learning approaches and performance practices.