I have a friend who also stutters, or, I found out he stutters after knowing him for a few months.
Apparently he uses a similar technique where he “sings” what he wants to say in a slightly higher-pitched voice when talking in a professional setting. He sounds totally normal when using it, but you’re not in doubt when he doesn’t.
I’m sure it took a lot of training to master it.
The speech and singing regions of the brain are separate from each other, which is why this works. It also can work for people who lose the ability to speak from brain damage.
It’s wild how adaptable the brain is. Some dude was out there just living life when he had a head mri after a car crash (iirc) and found that he only had a brain stem.
Wow! I had to go looking, he was having leg pains and they did an MRI ro find 90% of the brain missing. Wow. IFL SCIENCE
To quote ancient words of wisdom: “Everybody’s sayin’ that the Scatman stutters but doesn’t ever stutter when he sings. But what you don’t know, I’m gonna tell you right now that the stutter and the scat is the same thing, yo, I’m the Scatman.”
Bee bo bo bee bo bo
James Earl Jones also is speak-singing because he stuttered as a kid. That’s why his voice is so resonant.
Voice resonance has more to do with your body/skull structure than anything. One thing that I find interesting is that most phenomenonal singers have rather large mouths. My singing ability actually improved as a child after getting my jaw expanded.
You can kinda test this out yourself. Hold a note with your arms by your side, then again with your hands on top of your head with elbows out. Your voice will have a lot more resonance because you’re expanding your chest (this is also the best position to catch your breath in)
Source: classically trained musician taught by PhDs in the various instruments I can play (including singing)
I also have a fun breathing exercise that will make you super light headed, which is fun.
I want to believe
https://stamurai.com/blog/stuttering-and-singing-what-we-understand/
It’s definitely a thing, even with people who can’t speak due to brain damage.
On a related note (heh) walking and dancing are also controlled by different brain areas. One of my neighbours has episodes of neurologic muscle spasms that can make her unable to even stand… So when it happens she starts shimmying sideways, or doing little hops. She’s absolutely adorable.
The brain is interesting and weird
I’m chopping onions, that’s why there are tears in my eyes.
“psycho killer qu’est-ce que c’est” 🎶
Glorious!
Always loved this one.
What a fitting song for a stutterer lol
I actually had my own bard character based on this premise, Ré Mí the Eloquence Bard, a Kenku who learned to sing speak to overcome the Kenku speech impediment.
You said pre-covid. So what about now, do you still organize this? If yes, where?
