The Neuroscience of Singing: How Our Brains Make Music Possible

From Freddie Mercury’s legendary vocal range to the intricate rhythms of Neil Peart, the brain’s extraordinary ability to master music is more than just talent—it’s a fascinating neural symphony.

By Samantha Newport.

Ever wonder why music has the power to move us or how some people seem to effortlessly hit every note? Whether you’re belting out a tune in the shower or marvelling at a professional singer’s voice, singing is far more than just a talent—it’s a sophisticated brain process that links the mind, body, and emotions in ways we’re still working to fully understand. Drawing on the research of Brown et al. (2004) and others, this article explores how the brain enables us to create and enjoy music, revealing the intricate network of neural regions involved in the act of singing.

Singing: More Than Just a Sound

Singing isn’t just a human activity—it’s a rare and intricate behaviour only seen in some animals, like gibbons, humpback whales, and birds. But humans take it to another level. Singing serves many purposes, from bonding with others to expressing deep emotions. The brain orchestrates this complex act using a specialised network of regions known as the "song system," a network that not only helps us produce songs but also plays a crucial role in learning them (Brown et al., 2004). While some animals, like birds, learn songs only during a critical period in their lives, humans can adapt and continue to learn songs throughout their entire lives (Doupe & Kuhl, 1999; Janik & Slater, 1997).

What sets humans apart is the complexity of our singing. While animal songs often serve simple, specific functions—like attracting mates—human singing can involve harmonising, choral arrangements, and other intricate forms, requiring a highly specialised brain system (Brown, 2000; Brown et al., 2004). This complexity enables us to express music in a variety of ways, from solo performances to large-scale productions.

What Happens in Our Brain When We Sing?

So, what’s actually happening in our brains when we sing? Using advanced brain imaging techniques, scientists have pinpointed the specific regions activated when we repeat melodies, harmonise, or perform simple vocalisations. These key regions include:

• The Primary Auditory Cortex: This area helps us process the sounds we produce, allowing us to hear and adjust our pitch and tone.

• The Motor Cortex: This region controls the muscles involved in singing, ensuring proper pitch, rhythm, and breath control.

• Broca’s Area: Typically associated with speech, this area is activated when we form sounds or words.

When we engage in more complex vocal tasks, such as harmonising, our brains recruit additional regions. For instance, harmonising requires precise coordination between auditory feedback and motor control, activating brain areas like the ‘planum polare’ and ‘frontal operculum’. These regions help integrate what we hear with how we move our muscles, offering deeper insight into how the brain supports these intricate musical tasks (Brown et al., 2004).

The Brain: A Symphony of Sound and Motion

Singing is not just about hearing music—it’s about how we move our bodies to create it. For example, when we sing a simple melody, the auditory and motor cortices work together to ensure we stay on pitch and in rhythm. However, when we engage in more complex musical tasks, like harmonising, our brains call upon additional regions, such as the supplementary motor area (SMA) and the auditory association cortex. These areas are crucial for coordinating both what we hear and how we physically perform the music (Friston et al., 1991).

Legendary Musicians and Their Unique Brain Power

Now, let’s consider the brains of legendary musicians to understand how their extraordinary abilities might be linked to specialised neural systems. Take Freddie Mercury and Neil Peart—what made them stand out?

• Freddie Mercury: The ‘Queen’ frontman was known for his unparalleled vocal range, spanning four octaves. However, it wasn’t just his vocal range that set him apart; it was his precision and control. Research suggests that vocal tasks requiring high levels of precision, activate specific brain regions, particularly in the right hemisphere, which is responsible for fine-tuned motor control and auditory processing. This could explain how Mercury was able to produce such a diverse and powerful sound.

• Neil Peart: The legendary drummer of ‘Rush’ was famous for his intricate rhythms and perfect timing. Drumming involves more than just muscle memory—it requires tight synchronisation between different parts of the brain. The supplementary motor area (SMA), responsible for motor coordination, is highly active during complex drumming tasks. Peart’s brain likely developed specialised pathways for rhythm and movement, enabling him to maintain perfect timing while executing intricate beats.

While it’s speculative to claim these specific brain regions are solely responsible for these musicians’ unique talents, these examples help illustrate how brain structures might contribute to extraordinary musical abilities. Ultimately, these are theoretical links between brain regions and musical expertise, and more research is needed to understand their exact neurological underpinnings.

Can Our Brains Change to Be Better Musicians?

While some individuals may seem born with a natural musical gift, research shows that anyone can improve their musical abilities through practice. This phenomenon is known as neuroplasticity—the brain’s remarkable ability to reorganise itself based on experience. The more we practice an instrument or our voice, the stronger the neural pathways involved in music become.

Take world-class musicians like Lang Lang, a renowned pianist, or Yo-Yo Ma, a celebrated cellist. Their brains have likely undergone neuroplastic changes, making their neural circuits more efficient at handling complex musical tasks. This adaptive process is what allows them to perform at an extraordinarily high level. Similarly, singers with incredible vocal ranges may owe part of their abilities to neuroplasticity, which enables them to control their vocal muscles with remarkable precision (Brown et al., 2004).

It’s important to note that neuroplasticity doesn’t work in isolation. It’s a dynamic interaction between genetics, environment, and the individual’s specific practice regimen. That means anyone has the potential to enhance their musical abilities through dedication, but natural factors also play a role in shaping individual capacities.

The Fascinating Dance Between Music and the Brain

Singing and making music isn’t just about producing sound—it’s a dynamic partnership between the mind and body. A network of brain regions works together to process sound, create movement, and execute complex musical sequences. Thanks to ground-breaking research, such as that which inspired this article, we’re gaining a deeper understanding of how the brain supports these extraordinary abilities.

From Freddie Mercury’s vocal mastery to Neil Peart’s rhythmic precision, the talents of legendary musicians are likely tied to their brains’ ability to coordinate auditory processing, motor control, and memory. As neuroscience continues to uncover the mysteries of the brain, we gain greater insight into how musicians push the boundaries of human potential—and how we can all tap into our own musical abilities, unlocking our creativity through continued practice and exploration.

References

Brown, S., 2000. Evolutionary models of music: from sexual selection to group selection. In: F. Tonneau and N.S. Thompson, eds. Perspectives in Ethology: 13. Behavior, Evolution and Culture. New York: Plenum, pp. 231–281.

Brown, S., Martinez, M.J., Hodges, D.A., Fox, P.T. and Parsons, L.M., 2004. The song system of the human brain. Cognitive Brain Research, 20(3), pp.363-375.

Doupe, A.J. and Kuhl, P.K., 1999. Birdsong and human speech: common themes and mechanisms. Annual review of neuroscience, 22(1), pp.567-631.

Friston, K.J., Frith, C.D., Liddle, P.R., and Frackowiak, R.S.J., 1991. Comparing functional (PET) images: the assessment of significant change. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism, 11, pp. 690–699.

Janik, V. and Slater, P.J.B., 1997. Vocal learning in mammals. Advances in the Study of Behavior, 26, pp.59-99.

Koelsch, S., Gunter, T.C., v Cramon, D.Y., Zysset, S., Lohmann, G., and Friederici, A.D., 2002. Bach speaks: a cortical ‘language-network’ serves the processing of music. NeuroImage, 17, pp. 956–966.

Kroodsma, D.E. and Konishi, M., 1991. A suboscine bird (eastern phoebe, Sayornis phoebe) develops normal song without auditory feedback. Animal Behaviour, 42(3), pp.477-487.

Marler, P. and Pickert, R., 1984. Species-universal microstructure in the learned song of the swamp sparrow (Melospiza georgiana). Animal Behaviour, 32, pp. 679–689.

Zatorre, R.J., 1985. Discrimination and recognition of tonal melodies after unilateral cerebral excisions. Neuropsychologia, 23(1), pp.31-41.