Hello,
I accidentally found this site and have enjoyed all the information I have received so far, thanks!!
I was wondering if anyone else experienced a loss of the ability to sing aloud from their injury.
When my injury first occurred about 11 months ago, I could not read music or sing aloud at all. In 2-3 months, I could sing aloud, but my pitch and rhythm were off.
About 3 months ago, I found my rhythm and pitch, but I could not sing with any instruments or more than 1 or 2 other voices singing with me.
Currently I can sing with 3-4 people with no instruments accompanying for a few songs, but when instruments, harmonies are added, I just stop singing, like my brain chooses to listen rather than perform. I can only sing along with almost one song in car, house, and same thing happens...singing just stops. I can hear the music continue, but I cannot sing along at all.
This is all so new, as I have performed singing/ playing instruments public ally for 30+ years, and find I can no longer do this, even when I'm alone.
If anyone has any answers, I'd really appreciate it.

I have had a lot of trouble with my speech, voice, grammar (when spoken it's different than what I think), different words come out than what I intend, rhythm of speech and other various related things since I was concussed.

For months, people thought I was from a foreign country, even though I don't even speak a language other than American English, because it sounded like I had an accent!

I've also had a lot of trouble singing along to songs, but I think it had to do with the slow processing speed of my brain and not the actual mechanics of singing.

They have proven that the area of brain for spoken speech is different than the one used to sing. So sometimes people can sing and not speak and vice versa.

I went to speech therapy regularly after these things hadn't resolved themselves within the first year after I sustained the concussion.

Give it some time and try not to let it frustrate you and it should resolve itself.

And definitely tell your neurologist and ask for a referral to a speech pathologist.

I was finally diagnosed and treated for hormonal dysfunction that was caused by the concussion, and since I started taking hormones my speech and related signs or symptoms have alleviated. I hope, that in time, they will all disappear.

Dear EsthersDoll,
Thank you for your response, and I will have Speech Therapy coming up when I enter a brain injury rehab program soon.
Your probably right about the slow processing, because I still have trouble with words and halting speech patterns as well.
I will take your advice to not get frustrated also!! I still enjoy music, but I've been listening to instrumental music mostly so I don't get hung up on my inability to sing along. Thanks again!

mim,

A problem you may recognize once you know how to analyze your sensations is that your brain may not blend the sounds of voices and instruments properly. This results in many distinct channels of audio information overwhelming your brain. This uses up all your brain's power/bandwidth so that it freezes and can not perform. Try listening with your eyes closed. It may help you tolerate more sounds.

My brain can process no more than 4 distinctive sounds without overloading. If I notice the sounds starting to be isolated, I need to be exiting the environment or block the sounds or my brain will crash hard. I have serious problems with echoes. I can hear echoes that nobody else can hear.

Try using ear plugs or head phones to reduce the volume and help the sounds blend. Musician ear plugs are common to the mTBI community. I prefer the yellow foam cylinder ear plugs. They soften the sounds. I have not been able to tolerate a song service in church for over a decade.

My best to you.

Hello Mark,

Thank you for this advice and information. I haven't been able to sing along with the music in church since the accident, and I sang and played on the team.

I, too, get easily overwhelmed by multiple sounds, and this is when the "spells" begin, which look like a seizure but no abnormal electical activity.

I will try earplugs, although I am a bilateral hearing aid user, and sometimes just removing them helps a little. I wear sunglasses everywhere for the same over-stimulation issues.

I will also try listening with my eyes closed to help, thanks to you. Appreciate all your information for me and others

I play guitar and sing. My rhythm was way off when pcs was its worst. Now I can sing and play for short durations. Too long and I have a big headache and get that dumb dazed fog coming back. So I just take it one song at a time and celebrate being able to sing at all.