The Myth Of The Aging Voice

Part of the problem of trying to understand the human voice (whether for speaking or singing) is that a number of its fundamental truths are counterintuitive. This means that what appears to be the case is often not necessarily so. For example, many singers (and teachers) believe that we cannot change our voices in any significant way through voice training; that we are largely “stuck” with the voice with which we were born. In fact, the highly adaptable nature of the vocal muscles guarantees that our voices could be built if effective vocal exercises are properly employed. We also highlighted the all-too common belief that singing well requires a “relaxed throat”—one where the vocal muscles are minimally engaged. As we pointed out, the opposite is true: good singing demands strong, coordinated, and fully engaged muscular actions. It should always be noted that feelings of relaxation during singing are common when a singer’s vocal musculature performs efficiently; in short, they do not indicate a relaxed throat.

Another example of a misleading intuition that has guided students down the wrong path is that our voices have to deteriorate drastically as we age, that as we grow older, our voices must necessarily lose a significant degree of their youthful elasticity, easy production, and range, and there appears to be convincing evidence to support this idea. After all, aren’t there notable examples of one-time “singing gods” with voices that are now pale versions of their former selves? Besides a general stripping away of vocal quality and flexibility, the tragic loss of their signature high notes is what is most conspicuous in these one-time singing greats. There is no denying the number of noted singers who struggle unsuccessfully to sing as they once did when their voices were fresh and untarnished. But there are also are examples in the opposite direction—singers who have managed to keep their voices youthful throughout a lifetime. Think of pop singers Roy Orbison and Barbra Streisand in this regard.

As we age, our bodies change. (Yes, I know, not a brilliant insight!) For instance, with respect to the components of the voice, the cartilage of the larynx can harden and lose elasticity, which degrades a singer’s vocal quality and flexibility; mucus membranes in the larynx can also dry-up and erode tonal brilliance and compromise high-note singing. Moreover, as we age, our vocal muscles can lose their youthful, athletic ability and durability. (It’s also important to note that an aging singer’s vocal muscles and ligaments need longer time to repair from the stress of singing, especially very stressful singing.)

When we discuss the vitality and longevity of a voice, we must also take into consideration genetic factors. As is the case in all areas of human health, our genes play a substantial role in the wellbeing of our voices. It’s indeed the case that a singer’s voice may be inclined toward a restricted life of healthy singing because of genetic factors. Nevertheless, in most cases the affect of genes on the lifespan of healthy singing is not strictly deterministic and their influence could be minimized to a large degree by lifestyle choices. (This is not any different from other areas of human health. Someone may be inclined genetically to develop lung cancer, for example, but because the person never smoked or indulged in unhealthy living habits never develops the disease.)

Despite all the concessions that I am willing to make in regard to the influence that aging and genetics have on the health of a voice, we need to acknowledge that significant declines in an aging singer’s vocal quality and ability result, in most instances, not from the unstoppable ravages of aging or from the directives of genetics, but from the singer not conducting himself well as a vocal athlete; that is, by his not keeping his muscular instrument in top athletic form. In short, an aging singer typically experiences significant vocal decline simply because he is, or has become, vocally unfit. The proof of this proposition is that many singers, even the most gifted ones, frequently lose their vocal prowess by middle age, a time when the singing voice should be at its peak.

Another crucial component to vocal fitness—and to being a good vocal athlete—is a singer practicing lifestyle routines that contribute to the health of his voice. Good eating and exercise habits, for instance, and avoiding unnecessary assaults to the voice like smoking, should be an essential part of a singer’s everyday regimen. Staying vocally fit can stave off the affects of aging, years of taxing singing, and even minimize, if not eliminate, genetic factors. A critical aspect of vocal fitness is proper vocal exercising. Effective vocal exercising helps to keep laryngeal cartilages, mucus membranes, vocal muscles, and vocal ligaments healthy and youthful. More often than not, an aging singer, with a deteriorating voice, has failed to embrace (or is ignorant of) the idea that his voice is in need of proper vocal exercising to remain vocally fit.

Vocal problems are typically accumulative: they build-up over time as a singer’s vocal musculature is consistently trained to make adjustments that ultimately undermine its proper functioning. A common vocal ill that many singers develop, for instance, is a persistently raised larynx. The cause of this condition is a singer habitually performing high notes and/or singing in unnaturally high keys—in both cases, without a proper muscular foundation. With this sort of misguided singing, the singer’s larynx eventually begins to assume a naturally higher position in his throat, which inevitably undermines the muscular actions of his vocal cords and collapses the proper shaping of the musculature of the pharynx (including the tongue), and soft palate. What are the signs of a persistently raised larynx? There is general loss of range; a decrease in power, vocal quality, and flexibility; increased nasality; a thinning-out of the voice; and there is typically a tightening of the throat, especially during high-note singing.

The human voice certainly changes during the course of a lifetime, but vocal change does not necessarily mean radical vocal decline. By utilizing proper voice building exercises, a singer could maintain a capable voice as long as he remains in good health. And without a doubt, many vocal ills that do develop with age can be effectively addressed with the correct, voice-training regimen.

Image source: Tish1/Shutterstock.com

Comments

[Barun P Mondal]

Age is important for man life. It affect us many ways. It also affected our voice. But some people has not affected by this. But it is not general. Our voice had been affected by age.
Medsempire Barun