A Dual-Stream Neuroanatomy of Singing

Abstract

Singing requires effortless and efficient use of auditory and motor systems that center around the perception and production of the human voice. Although perception and production are usually tightly coupled functions, occasional mismatches between the two systems inform us of dissociable pathways in the brain systems that enable singing. Here I review the literature on perception and production in the auditory modality, and propose a dual-stream neuroanatomical model that subserves singing. I will discuss studies surrounding the neural functions of feedforward, feedback, and efference systems that control vocal monitoring, as well as the white matter pathways that connect frontal and temporal regions that are involved in perception and production. I will also consider disruptions of the perception-production network that are evident in tone-deaf individuals and poor pitch singers. Finally, by comparing expert singers against other musicians and nonmusicians, I will evaluate the possibility that singing training might offer rehabilitation from these disruptions through neuroplasticity of the perception-production network. Taken together, the best available evidence supports a model of dorsal and ventral pathways in auditory-motor integration that enables singing and is shared with language, music, speech, and human interactions in the auditory environment.

Neural networks for harmonic structure in music perception and action

“…Dorsal stream involvement has been shown 571 previously for goal-related actions (Kravitz et al, 2011), speech production (Hickok & Poeppel, 2007) and 572 singing (Loui, 2015;Zarate, 2013) and is compatible with our fronto-parietal network observed in pianists 573 during musical action imitation. Moreover, since the audio contrast comprised frontal activation extending 574 to dorsal IFG, it is plausible that also during listening (although without imitation) a dorsal stream of 575 auditory information might have been involved for mapping sound to action simulated by pianists (Zatorre 576 et al, 2007).…”

Rapid and flexible creativity in musical improvisation: review and a model

“…The significance of dorsal versus ventral pathways in music has also been shown, notably in behavioral and neuroimaging work on tone‐deafness, or congenital amusia . Specifically, the dorsal network involves areas connected by the arcuate fasciculus, which is a major white matter pathway connecting endpoints of cortical gray matter in the superior temporal lobe (superior and middle temporal gyri) and the frontal lobe (inferior frontal gyrus) . The ventral network includes middle temporal gyrus and inferior frontal regions connected via the uncinate and inferior longitudinal fasciculi .…”

Musical anhedonia and rewards of music listening: current advances and a proposed model

“…This also differs in emphasis from a view of the AC (STG) as a waystation, accomplishing the function of filtering or attentional selection, or otherwise acting as a computational hub toward the different streams of higher level audition . Dual‐stream models of auditory perception, including speech and language, as well as music and singing, generally posit an action‐oriented dorsal “where” pathway and a semantic‐ or object‐oriented ventral “what” pathway . These models need to be integrated with predictive coding accounts to reveal how biasing predictions might direct connections differentially to dorsal versus ventral streams, and how reward might motivate learning within each stream.…”

“…87 Dualstream models of auditory perception, including speech and language, as well as music and singing, generally posit an action-oriented dorsal "where" pathway and a semantic-or object-oriented ventral "what" pathway. [88][89][90] These models need to be integrated with predictive coding accounts to reveal how biasing predictions might direct connections differentially to dorsal versus ventral streams, and how reward might motivate learning within each stream.…”