The Musical Nature of Speech

Everyday speech is like a musical performance, with its own rhythm, timbre, and tonality. Our voice is an instrument that communicates underlying meaning even without conscious thought. Podcast hosts, like Insultsman from The Illusionist and Martin Saltz-Ostwick from Song by Song, prioritize conveying emotion and mood through their speech. Each voice is unique, with its own characteristics. For example, Phoebe Judge's voice is likened to a low woodwind instrument, while Roman Mars' voice is compared to a John Cop and Moog. Speech and music overlap in our brains, with similarities in rhythm, melody, and structure. Even without the original speech file, a piano can recreate the energy shape of speech sounds. Our brains blur the line between music and speech, as demonstrated by the speech to song illusion. Certain phrases, when looped, start to sound like they are being sung. Our ability to variate rhythm and tonality in speech adds depth and meaning to communication.