Overview of adolescent vocal development
Voice change in adolescence is due to hormonal increases associated with sexual maturation. A major effect of these hormones is an increase in vocal fold length for both girls and boys and an increase in vocal fold thickness for boys. These changes lead to a lowering of both speaking and singing pitches.
Since the 1940s the average age at which vocal change begins has been decreasing in the United States. This trend has accelerated in the last 30 years and is associated with further decreases in age of onset of sexual maturation. Even in the third grade there may be significant numbers of children who are experiencing the beginnings of vocal change.
Male voices undergo more substantial change over a longer period of time. For example, at age 18 females have a degree of vocal maturity that is substantially greater than males.
Both boys and girls will experience various challenges associated with voice change (Gackle, 2006; Cooksey, 1999):
We think that virtually all of the vocal technique issues addressed in Vocal Technique should be taught to children and adolescents over time. This is not to say that they should be taught with the same depth or with as much technical information as might be communicated to adults, but the range of technical issues is as relevant to children and adolescents as it is to adults.
The key is to use knowledge of these changes to help adolescents navigate their new voices to encourage them to continue singing.
Tips for helping adolescents
A number of exercises can help adolescents deal with vocal change. The following types are particularly helpful (see Vocal Technique for specific examples):
It is important to remember that vocal change is a natural consequence of human development and vocal maturation. Many adolescents are embarrassed by these changes, but this embarrassment can be reduced if they are given information about what is happening to both genders’ voices and the paths they may take to vocal maturity. Unless adolescents are supported and encouraged to sing during this period, and to be patient with their voices, they may stop singing. They need to understand that they are experiencing a normal part of maturation that is connected to the other physical changes they are experiencing. Knowing what will be happening can encourage them to keep singing through this difficult period.
Adolescent choral singing
Choral conductors should be sensitive to the need to move adolescents whose voices are changing to lower parts as necessary. Singers should also feel free to move to a higher part on days that their voice feels more comfortable at that level. Singers should be encouraged to rotate parts as comfortable to enable continued access to head voice and to gain more experience with chest voice at lower pitch levels.
It is particularly important to help adolescent females develop a more focused tone with better resonance. In mixed-gender middle school and high school choral groups it is often difficult to achieve dynamic balance between sections because females have excessively breathy voices and males are trying out their emerging chest voice.
For all genders one of the joys and benefits of choral singing is that changing voices can be socially and vocally supported by those around them. While social support may seem obvious for girls, the social component of a singing ensemble can be very encouraging and reassuring for boys and young men, as well. Solo singing can be frustrating and embarrassing while going through these vocal changes, but choral singing allows adolescents to continue to sing at a high level and develop their voices without focusing on the flaws or limitations of their current instruments.
Some of the additional topics covered in Vocal Technique
Since the 1940s the average age at which vocal change begins has been decreasing in the United States. This trend has accelerated in the last 30 years and is associated with further decreases in age of onset of sexual maturation. Even in the third grade there may be significant numbers of children who are experiencing the beginnings of vocal change.
Male voices undergo more substantial change over a longer period of time. For example, at age 18 females have a degree of vocal maturity that is substantially greater than males.
Both boys and girls will experience various challenges associated with voice change (Gackle, 2006; Cooksey, 1999):
- Loss of previously singable high notes, particularly for boys but also for girls
- Reduced range at certain stages of development
- Difficulties with pitch control and pitch matching
- Breathiness or “huskiness” related to an incomplete closure of the rear portion of the glottis during puberty and even late adolescence. (While breathiness is perhaps more common with girls, it occurs with boys as well.) The laryngeal muscles have not developed sufficiently to close the newly enlarged vocal folds.
- Difficulty with achieving coordinated onset, which is related to the glottis closure problem
- Abrupt register transitions or “breaks in the voice”
We think that virtually all of the vocal technique issues addressed in Vocal Technique should be taught to children and adolescents over time. This is not to say that they should be taught with the same depth or with as much technical information as might be communicated to adults, but the range of technical issues is as relevant to children and adolescents as it is to adults.
- While using imagery with children is helpful (as it is for adults), sole use of imagery is limiting. Teaching children almost exclusively with imagery does them a disservice. If they can learn musical concepts such as notation, they can learn the language of vocal technique as well (Sell, 2005).
The key is to use knowledge of these changes to help adolescents navigate their new voices to encourage them to continue singing.
Tips for helping adolescents
A number of exercises can help adolescents deal with vocal change. The following types are particularly helpful (see Vocal Technique for specific examples):
- Onset exercises can reduce breathiness and the related difficulty of starting sound. They are not, however, a complete remedy for these problems, as muscles controlling glottal closure will be weak for a period of time.
- Legato exercises can help with creating sustained sound throughout a musical phrase.
- Staccato exercises can provide further assistance with coordinating glottal closure and opening.
- Register bridging, as register transitions are particularly difficult during the period of vocal development.
- For males, falsetto exercises can help to develop a lighter approach to higher pitches to avoid carrying chest voice too high.
- SOVT exercises - in particular, the use of straw phonation, can be immensely helpful in clarifying tone.
It is important to remember that vocal change is a natural consequence of human development and vocal maturation. Many adolescents are embarrassed by these changes, but this embarrassment can be reduced if they are given information about what is happening to both genders’ voices and the paths they may take to vocal maturity. Unless adolescents are supported and encouraged to sing during this period, and to be patient with their voices, they may stop singing. They need to understand that they are experiencing a normal part of maturation that is connected to the other physical changes they are experiencing. Knowing what will be happening can encourage them to keep singing through this difficult period.
Adolescent choral singing
Choral conductors should be sensitive to the need to move adolescents whose voices are changing to lower parts as necessary. Singers should also feel free to move to a higher part on days that their voice feels more comfortable at that level. Singers should be encouraged to rotate parts as comfortable to enable continued access to head voice and to gain more experience with chest voice at lower pitch levels.
It is particularly important to help adolescent females develop a more focused tone with better resonance. In mixed-gender middle school and high school choral groups it is often difficult to achieve dynamic balance between sections because females have excessively breathy voices and males are trying out their emerging chest voice.
For all genders one of the joys and benefits of choral singing is that changing voices can be socially and vocally supported by those around them. While social support may seem obvious for girls, the social component of a singing ensemble can be very encouraging and reassuring for boys and young men, as well. Solo singing can be frustrating and embarrassing while going through these vocal changes, but choral singing allows adolescents to continue to sing at a high level and develop their voices without focusing on the flaws or limitations of their current instruments.
Some of the additional topics covered in Vocal Technique
- Recent trends in vocal maturation
- Vocal development in adolescent males
- Vocal development in adolescent females
- Part assignment during vocal change
- Vocal technique issues in child and adolescent voices
- Exercises for children are highlighted throughout the book