Surface electromyography for sensing performance intention and musical imagery in vocalists

Through experience, the techniques used by professional vocalists become highly ingrained and much of the fine muscular control needed for healthy singing is executed using well-refined mental imagery. In this paper, we provide a method for observing intention and embodied practice using surface electromyography (sEMG) to detect muscular activation, in particular with the laryngeal muscles. Through sensing the electrical neural impulses causing muscular contraction, sEMG provides a unique measurement of user intention, where other sensors reflect the results of movement. In this way, we are able to measure movement in preparation, vocalised singing, and in the use of imagery during mental rehearsal where no sound is produced. We present a circuit developed for use with the low voltage activations of the laryngeal muscles; in sonification of these activations, we further provide feedback for vocalists to investigate and experiment with their own intuitive movements and intentions for creative vocal practice.<p></p>