Singing

An extract from 'Birth and Breastfeeding' by Michel Odent* :

Singing is a specifically human activity. And the need for a resurgence of fundamental humanity is strong during pregnancy. There is no example of a human society where singing was unknown. Thus, anyone who would study what makes man special in the world of mammals should certainly reflect on the function of singing. I grew to understand this over time, after singing with pregnant women in France, the UK and the US.

A birthing centre or a maternity hospital is an ideal place to realize that the voice can be at the service of the most primitive brain structures. This is so in the case of the scream that characterizes the last contraction before birth, and also the first cry of the newborn baby... Finally, when singing, the voice is at the service of the primitive brain and the new brain (which makes language possible) at the same time. The direct communication of emotions through melody and rhythm is completed by the use of words. Among human beings endowed with the capacity to speak, singing is a perfect example of how both brains can work in harmony.

Studying the function of singing is a key to understanding human beings. In fact, any artistic activity , a technique - which is governed specifically by the neocortex - puts itself at the service of a function controlled by older structure. The technique of a musician makes it possible to transmit emotions through sound. The technique of a painter can transmit emotions with visual signals. Poetry is the transmission of emotions via our elaborate form of communication called 'language'. The technique of a dancer tends to arouse emotions induced by body movements and rhythms. Gastronomy is related to digestic functions; the art of the perfume maker, to the sense of smell; eroticism to the mating instinct. There is no physiological function that cannot be the basis for artistic activity. It is significant that words like 'art' and 'artifice' have the same root. Indeed, art is an artifice used by humans to harmonize their two brains.

* A fascinating book that mixes comment on modern obstetrics, philosophy, anthropology and art. pg 65-66, Clairview Publishing.

Ps - Mum, if you're reading, I'm NOT pregnant and not planning to be either. You can chill out.