What's in a voice? (360G-Wellcome-208254_Z_17_Z)

Why do we sound the way we do? "What’s in a voice", is an exhibit which aims to start conversations about voices, and which illustrates the evolution, complexity and meanings associated with the human voice – which is simultaneously a musical instrument without peer in terms of flexibility and range, and also a powerful social instrument with which we express who we are, how we are, and who we would like to be. This project will tell the story of the human voice – from evolution to acoustics, from anatomy to emotion – in novel and engaging ways. We will illustrate this with a strong scientific background into our work on voices, and also with demonstrations of why and how our voices can change, as well as the use of different kinds of vocal performance to allow us to illustrate the different kinds of vocal mechanisms live. The performances will involve voice professionals, including beat boxers, actors, poets, rappers and singers. We are also working with people who have more ‘difficult’ voices, (e.g. people who stammer), and children from a local Camden primary school (St George the Martyr, Camden), with whom we are working to produce some vocal demonstrations.