In other gestures: Multimodal iteration in cello master classes

Abstract

In this contribution, we investigate the transfer of embodied procedural knowledge in two cello master classes, zooming in on what we identify as speech-embedded nonverbal depictions - cases where meaning is communicated nonverbally, iconically, and without temporally co-occurring speech - an overlooked domain in the literature foregrounded by a critical reconceptualization of Clark's (2016) framework of depicting. Examining such depictions in the cello classes, the curious pattern of multimodal iteration emerges, where the "same"meaning is communicated multiple times, but in multiple different combinations of modality and signaling method, and with different aspects of the meaning profiled. A brief discussion of such cases in relation to dialogic syntax then underlines the relevance of semiotic properties and dialogic resonance, revealing the rich communicative affordances of multimodal iteration in contexts of instruction.