Voice and Math: The Art of Singing in Light of Mathematical Music Theory

Elements of a Vocal Gesture Theory, previously developed as an abstract approximation, have served as the basis for the present work in which the theoretical aspect of this development is refined to accommodate concrete realities that the singer confronts. In particular, the connection between musical thinking (symbolic gestures) and performance (concrete gestures) can be described by a mathematical approach. On the one hand, singers have to imagine the vocal effect they wish to obtain, and, on the other hand, they must carry out concrete physical inner movements of their larynx, vocal folds, etc., to achieve the desired effect. Mathematical Gesture Theory can provide a framework to help understand how such imaginary and embodied movements relate one to another, as well as how they are connected in the practice of singing. Additionally, voice pedagogy, in general, is tremendously subjective and, as in all creative processes, what works for one singer does not necessarily function for another. We hope to offer a very broad and flexible framework in which the essence of the relation between symbolic and physical gestures is captured and allows for multiple concrete models. We also offer some very basic experimental evidence as proof of concept of this emerging Vocal Gesture Theory, considering an application to Italian belcanto, with the analysis of the head voice and the chest voice in a Verdi’s aria.