Background: Voice science has advanced through multiple approaches (physical, physiological, neurophysiological, cognitive, and perceptual), primarily relying on objective measurements and quantitative perceptual ratings. However, qualitative systematic first-person accounts of singers' lived experiences remain largely absent from scientific inquiry. This gap is particularly critical in voice science, where understanding of motor phenomena can be fundamentally deepened through appreciation of inherent lived intentions and feelings (Merleau-Ponty, 1963) and where communication and expression are fundamental.
Micro-phenomenological interviews address this gap by enabling subjects to access pre-reflective experience through structured content-empty questioning, validated evocation techniques, providing reproducible results validated through observable indicators (Petitmengin et al., 2019; Petitmengin & Bitbol, 2017). This method is particularly relevant for studying attention in motor learning, where kinesiology research has traditionally emphasized the benefits of external over internal focus. However, preliminary findings suggest that developing an open, accepting (equanimous) attention to internal sensations through mindfulness meditation for singers (MMS) enhances voice motor learning compared to basic voice science training (BVS), as evidenced by voice and neurophysiological data (Cardona et al., in prep). This indicates that affective valence influences motor processes in voice motor learning. This study employs micro-phenomenological interviews to examine how singers trained in either MMS or BVS experience a 4-second register transition task, focusing on phonoceptive awareness and affective stance to voice production.
Methods: Five adult novice meditator singers-in-training participated in a chest-to-falsetto register transitions study. Three received four-week MMS training emphasizing equanimity towards phonoceptive sensations, while two received basic voice science training. Micro-phenomenological interviews conducted post-intervention explored participants' experience during their last successful 4-second voice task in fMRI. Six voice professionals rated these post-intervention samples against pre-intervention equivalents using a visual analog scale.
Results: Micro-phenomenological analysis revealed distinct generic structures between groups. The MMS group's experience was characterized by equanimous body, breath, and vibration awareness leading the singing process, with progressive performance evaluation. The BVS group showed conscious control of vocal mechanics, susceptibility to negative voice perception, and post-singing declarative evaluation.
Conclusion: Results support that equanimous attention to interoceptive states benefits voice motor learning, while declarative training leads to conscious control. These findings suggest reconsidering voice pedagogy's focus on external outcomes versus internal sensations, particularly when combined with mindfulness-based affective regulation. This qualitative approach demonstrates promising methods to illuminate the singer's "black box," complementing neural and behavioral data.