Intellect
Music gives the brain a workout!
“Musical activity involves nearly every region of the brain that we know about, and nearly every neural subsystem,” stated neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin. According to Levitin, the aspects of music that are connected to areas of the brain are as follows:
- Listening to music- cochlear nuclei, brain stem, cerebellum, and auditory cortices
- Following along with music you know- hippocampus, subsections of the frontal lobe
- Tapping along with music- cerebellum’s timing circuits
- Performing music- frontal lobes, motor cortex, sensory cortex
- Reading music- visual cortex in the occipital lobe
- Listening or recalling lyrics- language centers of the brain
- Emotions we experience- structures in the primitive regions of the cerebellar vermis and the amygdala
Levitin concludes with a note that, although all of these areas are listed individually, “[T]he brain is a massively parallel device, with operations distributed widely throughout.”
– This information was taken from pages 85-87 of Levitin’s book, This Is Your Brain On Music: The Science of Human Obsession.
For additional information, check out Levitin’s book, or read this article.
Communication
There is rarely any physical barrier between the performer and the audience when a person is singing. Studio Canimus focuses on kinesthetic awareness—being aware of what the body is doing. We also focus on emotional awareness—being aware of what the mind is doing during singing, and how to stay focused and positive during that process. This not only positively effects what a person is communicating during a performance (i.e. showing nervousness vs confidence), but will carry over into improved daily interpersonal communication.
Confidence
Whether a person is taking voice lessons for choir, theatre, or to sing karaoke for fun, lessons build musical skill. Skill builds independence. Independence builds confidence.
Preparation for Special Events
Singing at a wedding for the first time? Are you out of practice for an upcoming performance? Studio Canimus offers short-term vocal coaching lessons to work on specific songs over a short amount of time.