Measurable changes in piano performance of scales and arpeggios following a Body Mapping workshop

Body Mapping is becoming increasingly popular among musicians as an educational approach to improve bodily movement and thereby the audible quality of music performances. This study used MIDI data to quantitatively measure changes in scale and arpeggio piano performance one day before and one day after a Body Mapping workshop. While there were subtle changes in the MIDI data, these changes were generally neither statistically significant, nor a magnitude that would be audible. Based on these findings, we theorise that reports of immediate improvements to music performance originate in visual dominance: audience members observe changes in bodily movement and perceive this as improved sound quality.