Why Brains Are Like Cats: Brain Science for Voice Education

Not a reader? Scroll down for the video!

If you're not a cat person, I'll enlighten you. Cats (internet adventure cats notwithstanding) don't like new things.

In a certain sense, brains don't either. Yes, our brains are very interested in new things. When something is unfamiliar, it gets a LOT of our attention! The reason that happens is the same reason your students and clients have feelings - sometimes big feelings - in their voice lessons and coaching sessions with you.

This post will offer a new perspective on why we react to unfamiliar situations, tasks, and intentions the way we do, based on both insights from neuroscience and real-life observations from the voice studio.

Prepping you for the "Brains Are Like Cats" theory.

This concept is my brainchild. It's a theory based on science, but it's not science. (Just to be clear.) In order to understand where this comes from and why it matters to voice teachers, you need to understand a couple of things about brains and one thing about biology.

Thing 1: Predictive Processing

In cognitive neuroscience, the currently accepted theory about how brains work is called predictive processing theory. (To learn more about this, look up Andy Clark.)

According to this theory, our brains are constantly attempting to predict what we need to navigate through life, using past experiences as a guide. These predictions are compared against incoming sensory data, and then the brain decides how to act.

Predictive processing is how our brains prioritize efficiency. They prefer to anticipate environmental needs - both internal and external - rather than trying to figure out what to do with a whole lot of new sensory input.

diagram of predictive processing

The short (and anthropomorphic) version of this is that your brain would rather predict based on what it already knows than compute based on new stuff. Like most things in nature, it wants to be efficient. Prediction is more physiologically efficient than construction.

Predictive processing theory is a rich subject. We learn a lot about (the magical) applications of predictive processing in the voice studio in NeuroVocal® professional training. For this post, though, we have more to get to. So let's move on.

Thing 2: Building Concepts and Emotions

Our brains craft concepts from our experiences, and based on any number of variables, such as what kind of brain we have, or where and how we were raised. These concepts are both crucial for guiding us through day-to-day life (agreeing that red means "stop," for instance, is an important concept) and are unique to each person's life experiences, shaping how we interpret various situations.

emotions are concepts rooted in affective states

Emotional responses are no exception to this rule. In the book How Emotions Are Made, neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett explains that our brain constructs emotions based on physical affect - messages we get from our bodies - and existing concepts.

The Biology Thing

Physical affect is the biology thing I mentioned earlier. The idea of physical affect was born in the field of psychology, and is now used across a number of science categories (even economics!). If you look at the affective state diagram below, you'll understand more quickly than I can explain it.

All living things experience affect. As far as we know, humans are the only species that attach concepts to affect.

Here's an Example.

Do you get "hangry"? (For this example, let's say you do.)

You haven't eaten for a while, and your body starts telling your brain that you'll need to eat soon by flipping the "hungry" switch. You could simply notice you're hungry, plan on when and how to eat, and carry on in a consistent emotional state. You could notice you have less energy and grab a quick snack. But you're wired differently. You know you're hungry. Your brain conceptualizes that into emotions.

You might:

• feel a sense of urgency to eat.

• fixate on something in your internal or external environment.

• perceive anything between you and food (traffic, the time, a task) as an irritant.

• feel annoyed by people and situations.

• impatiently conclude interactions or tasks.

These are all concepts born of low blood sugars. And, since you either are the person I described or know this person, you know what I'm describing.

So Now That You Know

...it's more efficient for your brain to use memories than new information, that your brain would rather predict than construct, and that you create unique concepts based on your affective state, the Brains Are Like Cats theory will make sense to you. Now you can use brain science for voice education!

I'm going to map it out based on what you see in your studio.

• Your singer, Jordan, brings you a recording of a singer they admire. They indicate a skill the singer is using that they do not yet have. They want to learn to do that.

• You think of an exercise that would begin the process of learning that skill. You describe the exercise, and then demonstrate it. Since it's a skill you're familiar with, your brain lines up all the necessary predictions for you to execute it easily.

• Jordan tries it. Jordan's brain has no familiarity with these skills. It's looking for sounds and feelings it already knows, and can't find much. It's working, but not very efficiently.

• As a result of this inefficient physiology, Jordan experiences physical affect of high(ish) arousal and low(ish) valence. Jordan conceptualizes this affect as frustration, resentment, self-recrimination, despair, helplessness, or something else. (Jordan's response is unique to them.)

• You know about the power of familiarity, so you do not try to help Jordan or try to lower the emotional temperature. You simply say, "There you go! Let's try it again to get the feel for it"! You begin the process of letting the singer in front of you use their own brain to realize their intention.

• Jordan tries it again. It's closer already. You say, "That was great! Would it help you to hear it one more time, or do you want to just try it again"?

• After Jordan tries it a few more times, two things happen:

  • The skill begins to take shape.

  • Jordan's emotions are regulated.

Brain Science for Voice Education (Made Easy!)

While it's sometimes true that cats never-ever adapt to new things (e.g., the vacuum cleaner or another cat), it's also true that they get used to most things in their environment.

So do we. As our brains make memories for things such as people, places, skills, or sounds, we become more comfortable with those things. We also become more comfortable with things that are like those things.

This might be a lot to think about, but the bottom line is that your singer's "negative" feelings aren't about you, or even about themselves. They are about the brain's need to establish familiarity so that it can act efficiently.

If you are able to simply give your client's brain the time, repetition, and space to establish that familiarity, you will both be much, much happier!

---

Interested in learning more about NeuroVocal® Method?

Click Here

---

Get more NeuroVocal goodness!

Want to know about classes, publications, free stuff, and discounts?

You found it!