107/2025
About conducting

New project at Osnabrück University uses innovative processes

What movements do conductors perform? And what does good conducting look like? A project at Osnabrück University is taking a look at conducting from a scientific and pedagogical perspective and using innovative methods to do so.

It is being funded with around € 275,000 by the Ministry of Science and Culture and the Volkswagen Foundation as part of zukunft.niedersachsen.

The project uses the motion capture system kinelyze, which was developed at the Institute of Musicology and Music Education at Osnabrück University. It uses a single small sensor system for motion capture, which can be quickly and easily positioned in the room and requires no further installation or changes to the room situation. For the first time, kinelyze makes it possible to easily capture the movement of people conducting in real stage situations, even in normal everyday clothing during lectures.

The project makes these new technological possibilities equally useful for conducting research in music psychology and practical conducting pedagogy. "The kinelyze system will be used both as an innovative research system for recording and analyzing the various aspects of 'good' conducting and directly as a new type of feedback and reflection system in conducting lessons," says project leader Prof. Dr. Christoph Louven from Osnabrück University. Over the three-year project period, the system will be evaluated and optimized in several development cycles in close cooperation with scientific research, practical pedagogical use and technical development.

Further information for editorial offices:
Prof. Dr. Christoph Louven, Osnabrück University
Institute of Musicology and Music Education
 christoph.louven@uos.de

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