To return to my question posed earlier on in this essay, whether or not there is such a thing as an ideal interpretation, I would expect most people to agree that a perfect interpretation is conceivable but it is hardly possible of achievement. Every actual performance must be at best an approximation of the ideal. Therefore every valid interpretation represents a choice on the part of the performer. There are and always will be many of us who are vaguely comforted by the notion of one interpretation constituting a perfect performance. In my opinion, there should be a balance on how far scientific approaches can go in music.
Music is after all very much a personal choice and taste.
It is a form of expression and although scientists may prove that a certain way of performing is aesthetically more beautiful, they should always bear in mind that every performer is different. However, it would be interesting to know what proportion of musicians still do hold the view that music is best left untouched by empirical investigation. I suspect that this population is on the decline. This suspiion is born out by the fact that several university music departments in America now teach research design and methodology as part of their course work. If interaction with musicians can be of value in helping scientists to expand and refine their ideas about what music has been and what it could be, it will at the same time help erase the impression of many musicians that scientists are people who wear white coats and produce prescriptive final answers.