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Singing Through the Voice Change

and earlier these days. According to the research conducted by Janice Killian (1999), boys’ voices used to begin changing in the seventh grade. Now their voices are changing by the sixth grade, and in some cases music teachers may be addressing these issues as early as third or fourth grade. This has many implications for music teachers who incorporate singing into the music classroom. Once their voices begin to change, many boys opt out of singing activities altogether. So how can we keep them singing through this transitional period? 1. Knowledge is Bliss. First, arm yourself with as much information as possible about the changing voice. The four widely recognized authors on the boys’ voice change are John Cooksey, Irvin Cooper, Duncan McKenzie and Fredrick Swanson. These authors have identified characteristics of the changing voice, developmental stages, comfortable singing ranges and strategies for working with changing voices. Prefer to watch a video? Then check out Henry Leck’s (2001) The Boy’s Changing Voice (video). Mr. Leck uses the boys of the Indianapolis Children’s Choir to demonstrate vocal tone in each stage of development as well as vocal strategies for easing the transition from unchanged to the changed voice. 2. Focus on Science. Don’t be afraid to talk about what is happening as boys’ voices change. Discussing the physiological changes and how that affects their singing will help them know what to expect and will create a more comfortable atmosphere for singing activities. Boys LOVE to track their development as well. Make voice change records to display in the classroom that will chart each boy’s progress through his voice change. I did this with my middle school choir and the boys would come in weekly asking to see their charts and check their vocal ranges again. If you post them in the room, the boys can also compare their progress with that of their peers. Talking about the voice change and creating an atmosphere where unexpected “cracks” during singing are understood and accepted will allow the boys to feel more comfortable with singing activities. 3. Comfort is Key. Once you determine each boy’s comfortable singing range, look for song materials that will fit their vocal ranges. Be creative with the written score. You may find that you will need to have different groupings of boys: