From: john schweinfurth
To: VOCALIST <vocalist>
Subject: Re: maturation of the voice
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

On Mon, 7 Feb 2000 11:26:58 -0500 , VOCALIST wrote:

> Besides improvement because of training, can anyone out there explain why
> the voice changes so much with age? I'm interested in what happens
> physically, if anything.

The human vocal cords are the only in nature that have several layers, what
are called the lamina propria. Including the epidermis and vocalis muscle,
there are 5 in all. These layers are not fully distinct until after age 15
or so, yet you can talk by age 1 (in most cases). We have no idea why that
is. You can speculate that this has an effect on singing, which I'm sure
that it does, but why we develope it so late, I can not make sense of. Sure
the body goes through other changes, but the absolute function of the voice
is not really dependent on this process.

John M. Schweinfurth, MD
Laryngology and Professional Voice Care
Assistant Professor
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
(615) 322-6180





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