Enhancing the audience experience through stage presence and extramusical gesture in solo marimba performance

Abstract

Stage presence and extramusical gesture in live performance play a central role in the audience’s experience. While the performer’s focus is normally on the quality of sounds being produced, a live performance is a multisensory production, engaging both the eyes and ears. Studies by Schutz and Manning, Broughton and Stevens, as well as Cort McClaren have suggested that marimba players, specifically, have an increased ability to engage audiences, due to the nature of the instrument, by utilizing ancillary physical motion to enhance the observers’ perception of note duration and expressive elements. Some consider stage presence to be an intuitive gift possessed by a lucky few; however, in her book Stage Presence, Jane Goodall asserts that deep expression through gesture cannot only be understood, but learned. How, though, can we effectively teach higher-level, subtler elements of stage presence to percussion students? Through observing performances of well- known marimba soloists such as Svet Stoyanov and Naoko Takada, we can grasp and analyze specific extramusical techniques employed by successful performers, providing concrete examples for study and practice. Furthermore, interpreting these observations alongside a synthesis of existing research, we can devise original ideas and methods for percussion students to incorporate into practice and learning, thus developing stronger charisma behind their instruments, and addressing an area of Western music pedagogy that is often lacking, contributing to a growing standard of performing ability throughout the percussion discipline.