Gift of the gab: you, your voice and what other people think!

Say “Ahhhh!” How do you do it? In this session, we’ll be lifting the lid on the human vocal system to - quite literally - take a look inside the voice. Using MRI videos of the vocal tract in action, we’ll examine how the physical structures inside our mouths and throats translate the brain’s “compositions" into the music of vocal sounds - from speech to laughter, and song. We’ll also consider the ways in which this music is “tuned” and shaped during different communicative tasks. Come prepared to make noise!

We communicate much more than a linguistic message through our voice. The way in which we speak can tell others where we’re from, give clues about our educational background or our job. As listeners, we’re sensitive to this variation. That means that speaking in a particular way can have consequences for how we’re evaluated by others. In this talk, I will explore how we use our voice to portray identity, fit in with others and align ourselves with particular values, how our perception of speech is affected by our own experience and why we should all be more aware of accent discrimination.

My work is all about how voices are represented in the brain. I'm excited to introduce you to two cutting-edge academics that will talk you through the latest findings in voice research. Join us for a pint and plenty of chat!