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 5th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 12th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 19th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 26th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 2nd June 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 9th June 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
(London Time)
Music Theory Fundamentals for Voice Pedagogues
Dr David Cane
Voice pedagogy has advanced significantly in the last decades in relation to knowledge of the vocal apparatus (anatomy and mechanics), acoustics, and performance psychology (to name just a few subfields) – this is a wonderful thing! Nonetheless, musicianship and the foundations of music theory are still relevant to the teaching and coaching of singers and this course aims to empower voice teachers and coaches with skills to support the fundamental musicianship development of their students.
Thursday 4th June 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
Flexible Pedagogy: Teaching Singers with Dynamic Conditions
Joanne Bozeman
Marita Stryker
Is your "flexible" student actually at risk? In recent years, the singing community has seen a vital shift in awareness toward "invisible" conditions like Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (HSD), hEDS, and POTS. While hypermobility can sometimes feel like a "superpower" for range and flexibility, it often comes with a hidden cost: a higher frequency of voice disorders, respiratory challenges, and autonomic fatigue. Join Joanne Bozeman and Marita Stryker as they unpick the the special challenges and management strategies needed...
Wednesday 10th June 2026
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
(London Time)
In Conversation With… Amanda Flynn
Dr Amanda Flynn
Join us for the first event in our new public interview series exploring vocal health and sustainability in musical theatre performance. Free and open to all!