Amanda Mammana,19, gave an emotional audition recently when she sang a song she wrote herself on America's Got Talent.

“As you can probably tell, I have a bit of a speech impediment and it was definitely something that caused me to shy away and to hide, but I found that I don’t stutter when I sing,” she said during the performance that aired July 19 on NBC.

"Understanding what dramatically reduces stuttering during singing may eventually help us understand stuttering better," explains Dr. Barry Guitar, author of several Stuttering Foundation publications. He offers the following comments on singing and stuttering:

  • In singing, we use our vocal chords, lips, and tongue differently than when we talk.
  • There is no time pressure in singing nor is there any communicative pressure.
  • The rhythmic pattern of music tends to help regulate a person's breathing.
  • There is now evidence that the brain functions differently for singing than it does for talking.
  • When we sing, we generally know the words of the song by heart. Sometimes "word retrieval" or searching for the words plays a role in stuttering.
  • Carly Simon, B.B. King, Bill Withers, Mel Tillis, and Nancy Wilson are all famous examples of singers who stutter.

Amanda's performance on national TV has brought a renewed focus on stuttering.

Posted July 27, 2022