We are looking for trained singers of various genres and with extensive singing experience. We all know that we need our ears to train our voice, yet we often forget how much we depend on our bodily sensations for singing. For example, receptors in the vocal folds and chest wall are required to regulate vocal fold stiffness and air-pressure yet with experience, we may also recruit our muscle memory (i.e., the learned associations between bodily sensations and vocal output) for vocal control and become less dependent on hearing. Surprisingly, still little is known about the complex interaction of our senses. In this project, we will therefore first test your sensory perception, taking into account that some people may be more sensitive to one particular sensory modality and use these data to differentiate related patterns of brain activity during singing. Results will help us to better understand how the brain organizes singing related muscles, emotions, and cognitions and provide furthermore a new perspective to voice teachers and medical doctors, as the brain can tell us stories that we may not see otherwise. First, we test your senses with respect to musical hearing and body perception (2h) at RAMA and provide you with questionnaires about traits and musical history (30-40min). On a separate day, you will be singing single tones and musical phrases inside an fMRI scanner (1,5h). These tasks may seem simple compared to real-life situations, yet by breaking them down we can better understand their relative contribution to singing. All data will be treated confidentially and will be anonymized after study completion in accordance with the Danish Data Protection Agency. When & Where Does it Take Place? Part 1: Royal Academy of Music Aarhus –> now. Part 2: Nørrebrogade 44 (Building 10), Aarhus –> January
What’s in For You? Money: We will pay you 400 DKK (taxable as B-income). Knowledge: Our goal is to build a neuroscience perspective on singing, designed to improve our understanding of vocal training and learning. On the long term, this information may inform voice pedagogy and help voice rehabilitation.
