How can I sing
beautifully my whole life?
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This is a question that
comes across my desk regularly
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from well-seasoned vocalists.
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And frankly it's a question I
ask myself more and more often
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as the years go by.
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Let's face it, the human
voice undergoes many changes
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during the normal aging process.
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It returns some men to the
higher pitched tone they once
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had before adulthood and
it leaves some women with
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a deeper voice.
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Under normal conditions of
health, nutrition, and exercise,
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the human voice is relatively
stable over about three decades,
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that would be ages 20 to 50.
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While athletic performance
tends to peak in the 20's,
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vocal performance often
peaks in you 30's and 40's.
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As we age, here are the
list of things that happen:
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The cartilage of
the larynx ossifies,
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that means it's hardening,
makes it harder to thin out
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the vocal folds and that
means it's harder to sing those
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high pitches.
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But don't give up
on high the notes.
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Buzzing will help alleviate
some of the stress on the
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vocal folds, while helping
to maintain and improve range.
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Another thing that
happens is the face takes on new
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dimensions. Slight changes
in the space of our skull
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affect our resonating space.
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To maintain resonances continue
to exercise a soft palate
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the way to do that is
with your teeth closed.
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The vocal folds also
start to resemble worn elastic,
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a little frayed
around the edges.
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It is harder for
them to abduct cleanly,
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making it more difficult
to hold a steady pitch.
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A constant flow of air
might also be difficult
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because the abdominal muscles
are not consistently applying
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the pressure and the
support to the diaphragm
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which of course
monitors the release of the air.
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Our pitch may wobble a bit and
humming and buzzing long tones
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and singing these long
tones using various vowels
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will help you get through
those ragged vocal folds.
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And if your tone falters, try
going to something a bit lower.
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Another thing that happens is
the shape of the body changes,
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especially around the belt line.
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Saggage sets in and
this is a dirty trick
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because we sure need those
abdominal muscles to create
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the constant pressure on the
diaphragm which regulates the
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release of our breath
and supports that tone.
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So, you gotta keep
doing those crunches and
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any other abdominal
muscle builders every day.
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Despite all of our best efforts,
time keeps stealing our bodies
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and our voices and they will
succumb to the aging processes.
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However, I have an
insurance plan in place,
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I am headed back to my creator
for an overhaul and a tune-up
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very soon.
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Let's all plan to meet in heaven
to sing in that great chorus,
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our voices will
ring as never before.
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