Estimating articulatory gestures in singing using singing voice perception

This study investigated whether individuals with musical experience could accurately perceive changes in the singing voice and underlying vocal tract movements of a singer who completed one year of vocal training, using only the singing voice. Vocal tract modifications were analyzed using real-time magnetic resonance imaging and evaluated by professional singers, instrumentalists, and students. Professional singers demonstrated more nuanced evaluations of vocal tract shape. Instrumentalists, while capable of assessing voice quality, showed less differentiation across vocal tract features. Students used narrower rating ranges and struggled to assess both aspects. These findings indicate that musical background influences evaluative tendencies regarding voice quality and vocal tract configurations.