الفهرس 
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Abstract
Vocal sound is one of the defining features of humanity. Its commonality, pluraity and development distinguish the species. Within the wide range of sounds that humans make with their voices, there are two constellations that commonly have the greatest socio-cultural significance.
These are categorized as speech and singing, but there is a potential (and actual) significant overlap between the two, as both sets of behaviours are generated from the same anatomical and physiological structures and intiated/interpreted by dedicated neuropsychobiological networks whose development and function are shaped by cultural experience (Coltherat, 2003).
Our prediposition to perceive particular vocal sounds as singing or speech is dependent on the dominant acoustic features. Perception begins when the sensory system is stimulated by acoustic information that is filtered according to principles of perceptual organization which grouped the sounds together according to some key feauters, such as pitch range, temporal proximity, similarity of timbre and harmonic relationships.
The first few months of life, for example, are often characterized by vocal play (Papousek, H., 1996) in which the growing infant’s vocalization could be interpreted as singing as well as speech-like.
Cross(2001) argues that the essence of music may be found in its grounping in social interaction and personal significance, as well as being rooted in sound, movement and hetergeneity of meaning
In singing , Cross (2001) goes further by suggesting that the communication of emotion is at the heart of sung performance through the combined use of acoustical (vocal) cues.