Are luminous devices helping musicians to produce better aural results, or just helping audiences not to get bored?

By the end of the 90’s a new musical instrument entered the stage of all stages and since then, played a key role in the way music is created and produced, both in the studio and performing venues. The aim of this paper is to discuss what we consider to be fundamental issues on how laptopers, as musicians, are dealing with the fact that they are not providing the ‘usual’ satisfaction of a ‘typical’ performance, where gesture is regarded as a fundamental element. Supported by a survey conducted with the collaboration of 46 artists, mostly professionals, we intend to address and discuss some concerns on the way laptop musicians are dealing with this subject, underlined by the fact that in these performances the absence of gestural information is almost a trademark.