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The Science of Catchy Music

Pop music and science? One would think “never the twain shall meet”, but that person would be completely wrong. Here’s a little secret: Artists like Beyonce, Rihanna, Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj are the modern scientists who concoct enticing music as food to the brain. There is a formula to all of their songs, with their strongest ingredient being repetition. Repetition of a certain word or specific phrase in a song is the key that artists, producers and music moguls use to hone in on the brain’s vital receptors that allow it to refer back to the song on a regular basis, thus causing the inevitable rise of the song’s success and popularity.

But how? What causes us to naturally sing a hook over and over without giving it a second thought?

Elizabeth Kensinger, an MIT researcher and her partner Suzanne Corkin, professor of behavioral neuroscience conducted a study wherein 14 men and 14 women were asked to “learn” 150 words related to events while being scanned under an fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging). Studies found that most of them were aroused and recalled more intense words such as “rape” and “slaughter”, whereas non-intense words such as “sorrow” were forgotten (Parker, 2004). The more arousing words tended to connect to isolated events that people could immediately point out and process due to the activity within the Amygdala portion of the brain.

But before I delve into the explanation of that area in our minds, let me point out that “learning” words as in the study performed above, and processing a song you hear on the radio are essentially one and the same. It is simply a question of quickness in impact that either situation has on the memory. All of this stimulation is found in the Amygdala, an almond shaped mass of nuclei located deep within the temporal lobe. It’s a Limbic structure that is responsible for storing major emotions, positive or negative, that motivate or depress us. It is equally active in encoding the positive AND negative high arousal items. All this encoding, as a result, is most likely to be remembered by the human mind. Therefore, going back to the topic of lyrics, why are there songs out there that only take one listen to act as an unwavering adhesive to the brain’s memory receptors aka the location of the Amygdala?

Just as “rape” and “slaughter” created such an arousing impact on the mind, other songs use repetition in one exposing moment to drill into the grey anatomy with certain words that trigger the same effect, leaving the listener wanting more in the future. And no, songwriters don’t always use such morbid and violent terms to catch a person’s attention, so if you’re a songwriter that’s all about rainbows and sunshine, don’t panic.

For example, hip hop Barbie/Rapper Nicki Minaj’s latest hit “Super Bass” could seem like a typical rap song. Just a typical song that happens to be number 4 on Billboard’s Hot 100 list the first week of August? It’s not just because of the pink wig, I can assure you.

Notice that Minaj raps in the verses to her songs, and that too in rapid speed. Can the average Joe expect to rap like her? Certainly not. So we don’t tend to process the actual words from her rap, expecting ourselves spit them back out the same way. However, fast forward to the main chorus, in which she repeats the words “Boom Boom Bass” with a repetitive melody. Purpose? “Boom Ba Doom Boom Boom Ba Doom Boom Bass” resembles that of a percussive instrument, the type of beat you hear at a club. Now, for those of us who like to mingle in that environment and “get down”, if you will, we know that a hard hitting bass is a must for a successful dance scene in a night club. The word used to describe a “sick” (crazy, cool, insane: courtesy of Urban Dictionary, 2003) beat? Boom. That immediately gets registered in the temporal, Amygdala portion of the brain that encodes the positive, exciting arousal of emotion. Repetition after all is a form of learning, a technique Minaj unwittingly provides for the mind to explore. Constant verbal pounding of an intense word like “boom” in turn triggers solid storage and the association of a vivid and vibrant memory connecting Super Fun to “Super Bass”. Simple, one or two note melodies contribute to the song’s simplicity and appeal. Other hits such as “Single Ladies”, “Umbrella”, “Love Story” and “Lollipop” serve as similar examples.

Call it brainwashing or just an effective, win-win marketing strategy, but it is certainly something the music industry has down, literally, to a science.

Yoga for Singers

 

Yoga- The exploration of one’s peace of mind and physical health. In my previous blog post on the connection between Hindustani and Western Classical singing, I wrote about how music binds us cross-culturally through sonic similarities. Music connects human spirits with one another. Yoga is very much a similar practice by disciplining the body, soul and the mind to become at peace with its surroundings.

Dedicating time to yoga offers amazing benefits for singers. By combining a disciplined vocal regiment with routine yoga sessions, performers can not only strengthen their vocal control with the greatest ease, but also apply this control to all genres of singing, from heavy metal, rock, and pop, to R&B, Soul, and challenging ballads sung by legends such as Celine Dion, Beyonce, and Whitney Houston.

The two elements of yoga that will contribute to a successful vocal training plan are breathing and postural exercises.

Posture

Daily stresses unfortunately can take a hefty toll on our bodies and minds, causing our bodies to tense up and carrying ourselves with poor, straining postures. Yoga fixes these issues with vertical alignment practices for the entire body. Yoga can align your body through various stretching techniques to avoid physical problems in the future. Yoga also relieves any neck or facial tension that inhibits performance, and the ability to produce an open sound that otherwise comes from a relaxed upper body. You’ll also find an undiscovered source of energy that is derived from yogic exercises, which builds incredible stamina and keeps you active on stage.

Breathing

Another powerful exercise is yogic breathing, also known as Pranayama. The most effective breathing for singers is low breathing, which involves the lower part of the lungs and chest, also known as abdominal breathing. By expanding the lower abdomen out as your breath and pushing it in as you exhale, you are taking in more air for the breath support you need for challenging vocal lines. An added bonus is that low breathing improves general circulation for the body.

It’s important to understand that the secret ingredient to healthy singing is simple: relaxation. By finding balance in the mind and body, your vocal abilities can be nurtured and tapped to its fullest potential. All of these benefits can be attained through yoga and yoga alone.

Here are some popular, yet fairly easy exercises to get started that are sure to improve performance posture and stamina. Namaste!

Yoga Poses for Singers

 

Hindustani Classical Music Western Classical Music

 

DO RE MI FA SO LA TI- The most famous musical alphabet of Western Classical Music. 7 unique, simple notes that span across countless centuries and tell the story of musical evolution throughout ageless generations. For those who keep musicals and classics in their hearts, or have simply allowed their ears to indulge in the cornerstone musical pieces of pop culture, the Do Re Mi sequence has been spotlighted in golden classics from Julie Andrews’ Sound of Music Soundtrack to the Jackson 5’s ABC. Now travel all the way to the other side of the world, to a land of unique cultural vibrance and musical traditions, and sit in on a private singing lesson of a young protégé living with his mentor as a dedicated disciple of Hindustani Classical training (this is also known as a Guru-Shishya relationship). As in the early oral traditions of Hinduism, the Guru (spiritual teacher of music) takes on the responsibilities of his Shishya (disciple) and the progress of his musical growth and training by keeping the student in his home and privately training him in singing Hindustani music. Vocal Training is regarded as sacred and spiritual when practiced in its most traditional, orthodox methods. The mantra of Hindustani vocal training is comprised of numerous ragas, equivalent to the concept of scales. The notes of these ragas are spelled out as SA RE GA MA PA DA NI, the foundation of Hindustani Classical singing lessons.

IN C MAJOR:

DO=C=SA

RE=D=RE

MI=E=GA

FA=F=MA

SO=G=PA

   LA=A=DA

TI=B=NI

DO=C=SA

Now, if anyone has taken private singing lessons in Western Classical Music, learning the Do Re Mi vocal exercises are the foundational practices for any singer, no matter what their skill sets are. Do Re Mi comprises of a full, 8 note scale. The base scale usually starts off in the C major scale, and can eventually shift in key signature when testing the waters during a singing lesson, depending on the vocal range of the individual. The  bridge that connects Western Classical Music and Hindustani Classical Music in their roots alone are that the base Western Scale and the Hindustani Raga note sequences are ONE AND THE SAME. When learning Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do in C major, you are also learning the main raga of the Hindustani Classical sequence Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa. Of course, there are hundreds more ragas that are far more complex, mastered through extensive training, but the Scales of Western Classical Music and Hindustani Classical Ragas, though flow in separately, follow similar courses and eventually travel into the same language of music. Music is very much like an ocean- it is  gargantuan in size and depth on its own, but its origin was formed through many channels from the earth and will forever connect to many parts of the world.

What to drink before singing

 

Performing on stage is both the most invigorating and nerve-wrecking experience for people, no matter how how professional they are. There are so many uncontrollable factors at play, from changes in setting to minor accidents. One thing  performers can control is the instrument they perform with. There are many ways to maintain the quality of instruments, from regular warm-ups to handling the instrument with care. The vocal instrument, however, is a beast of its own. It’s directly impacted by bodily changes, especially if singers and vocalists have allergies or fall sick. The most popular, known ailments to nourish and nurture the vocal chords are of course hot tea, soup, or water with lemon and/or honey. However, studies suggest that certain juices can eliminate any mucus or”junk” that builds up in singers’ throats caused commonly by weather and viruses. Cranberry juice, for example, is an extremely helpful to drink before a show. It breaks down overactive mucus and whatever vocal build-up that occurs. The molecular structure breaks down a significant amount of mucus as opposed to water simply thinning it. So, next time you craving a delicious drink before a show but don’t want to jeopardize your voice, know that you have a delicious, healthy and safe option to soothe your vocal chords and taste buds!

 

Imagine the technique, and it becomes a reality!

Of course, it’s never that simple, but if you’re a singer who’s well-trained in foundational best vocal practices, you don’t need to practice out loud as often as you think.

We all know the saying “practice makes perfect”, but studies have shown that singers don’t need to rely on consistent practice to achieve the vocal quality they need. Certain parts of the brain are overactive according to the skills necessary to sing and perform. These skills are stored in certain areas of the mind, and simply imagining them triggers the brain to summon the necessary muscles for the performances that singers need, and want them to be.

Three areas of the brain that work and store information:

Primary motor cortex, which is responsible for telling the muscles in the body what to do, such as the how the mouth should be positioned, how relaxed the throat muscles, tongue and neck should be, and body posture in order to have full and non-constricting vocals.

The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex  stores and administers memory. Singers multitask all the time when they perform. One performance alone requires at least 10 different simultaneous action to occur on stage. To name a few, remembering the lyrics,melody, musical breaks, appropriate emotions, posture, expressions, movement, eye contact, breathing spots, cues with the accompanist, and the list goes on.  They have to be the director, actor, producer in one body. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex also permanently stores these techniques as mandatory actions that need to be conducted in order for the performance to be successfully carried out.

Inferior parietal cortex allows people to analyze their surroundings with mapped out spatial information to create appropriate coordination.

Singing Lessons New Jersey can provide you and your family with all the necessary tools and practice methods to ingrain a singer’s resources in your mind. Once you have them, there’s no stopping you, or your show from being the greatest it can be!