Brain, Movement, and Song
Thursday 4th March 2021, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)
This workshop will provide a gross overview of brain anatomy with a focus on how the brain controls movement, and the voice in particular.
Motivating case
- Meet the Chimpanzees: Viki and Washoe
- Why can Apes use sing language, but not speak or sing?
- Is there something special about the way that the human brain controls the voice?
Gross brain primer
- The four lobes
- Grey matter vs white matter
- Networks
Neuroscience of movement
- Primary motor cortex
- Somatotopy
- Descending motor pathways
- Movement from electrical stimulation
- Paresis from damage, e.g., stroke
- Cortico-striatal loop
- Functions
- Executing motor plans
- Learning new motor plans
- Anatomical components & their connections
- Supplementary Motor Area
- Basal Ganglia
- Thalamus
- Relevant disorders
- Parkinson’s disease
- Huntington’s disease
- Functions
- Cortico-Cerebellar Loop
- Functions
- Correcting movement errors
- Sensory feedback
- Anatomical components
- Cerebellum
- Thalamus
- Functions
- An example from Dance: fMRI Tango!
- Lead with your cortico-striatal loop
- Follow with your cortico-cerebellar loop
Neuroscience of song
- Specialisation for voice motor control
- Uniqueness to humans
- Electrical stimulation & Lesions
- Brain imaging studies
- Song
- Speech
- Emotions
Birdsong
- Avian song production system
- Analogy with human primary motor cortex
- Avian song learning system
- Analogy with human cortico-striatal loop
- Brain imaging evidence
- Vocal imitation fMRI
Summary
- Humans share a motor system with other mammals
- But with some voice specialisation
- Similar specialisation also appear in songbirds
Dr Michel Belyk
Dr Michel Belyk is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Edge Hill University. He studies the human voice, all the things that it says, and how it is able to say them.
Sorry, this is an archived short course...
We have plenty of upcoming short courses coming soon. See details of some of them below or look at the full list of short courses.
Tuesday 4th November 2025
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Tuesday 11th November 2025
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Tuesday 18th November 2025
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Tuesday 25th November 2025
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Tuesday 2nd December 2025
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
(London Time)
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Tuesday 11th November 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
The Art of Teaching the Female Musical Theatre Voice!
Dr. Christianne Roll
The female musical theatre belt sound originated on the Broadway stage in 1930, mostly associated with Ethel Merman and her vocal performance of the song “I Got Rhythm,” in the Gershwin musical, Girl Crazy. In the almost 100 years since the origin of the female musical theatre belt voice, the sound has become almost synonymous with Broadway itself. Join Dr Christianne Roll as she discusses the up-to-date strategies and techniques to create this exciting vocal production for each specific singer.
Wednesday 12th November 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
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Dr Melissa Treinkman
Nasal resonance, achieved by lowering the soft palate and allowing sound energy to resonate through the nasal passages, has recently gained attention for its potential benefits to singers. Join Dr Melissa Treinkman, as she explores the science and practical application of nasal resonance, taking participants through a step-by-step process of identification and utilization of nasal resonance in singing and speech!