Examining Embodied Sensation and Perception in Singing

Abstract

This paper introduces my PhD research on the relationship which vocalists have with their voice. The voice, both instrument and body, provides a unique perspective to examine embodied practice. The interaction with the voice is largely without a physical interface and it is difficult to describe the sensation of singing; however, voice pedagogy has been successful at using metaphor to communicate sensory experience between student and teacher. I examine the voice through several different perspectives, including experiential, physiological, and communicative interactions, and explore how we convey sensations in voice pedagogy and how perception of the body is shaped through experience living in it. Further, through externalising internal movement using sonified surface electromyography, I aim to give presence to aspects of vocal movement which have become subconscious or automatic. The findings of this PhD will provide understanding of how we perceive the experience of living within the body and perform through using the body as an instrument.