Between Time and Space: Coordination of Articulator Movements in the Motor Cortex

Abstract

Singing is the most complex human motor behavior involving the seemingly instantaneous coordination of over 100 diverse muscles. The perceived spontaneous sound production requires precise control in a tight timing window at the level of milliseconds. The synchronous recruitment is a wonder of motor prediction, with calculations, signals, and even some muscle activity occurring prior to any onset of sound. Recent research in neuroscience, using bold in vivo approaches to dissect how the tongue, lips, and jaw are coordinated in the brain, reveal a dynamic relationship between timing, location, and order. Singers and teachers can integrate ideas from this research to generate more targeted pedagogy.