To: VOCALIST <vocalist>
Date sent: Wed, 9 Feb 2000 12:06:29 -0000
Subject: Re: TECH: Body size/Height & Vocal Range
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

> >Concerning countertenors being Asians, I think it has to do with the
> >height and size. Small guys tend to have small larynx(es?),
> >therefore, a more female-like voice
>
> I don't think this is necessarily true.
>
> Being short doesn't mean you can't have a deep voice.

I don't think this is necessarily true either. I am just over 5' tall - I
used to be 5'2", but I must be shrinking ;) I have a baritone vocal
range. I do think though that genetics have a large part to play in the
matter. My father has a deep voice and is 5'8" whereas my mother
is 4'11" - so genetically I inherited my father's vocal range and my
mother's height. So I think the "tall/short gene" must be a seperate
gene to the "high/deep" gene and that any race of people could
possibly have a number of short/deep men if there has been a
prevelance of "deep genes" in the gene pool in the past.

There is then the complicated question as to which gene is
dominant. I conjecture that 100,000 years ago it was useful to have
a deep voice to scare bears and such from caves, but probably as
early as 200,000 years ago ladies have preferred men who are
"tall, dark and handsome". So there could be a bunch of social and
genetic factors that make short baritones like me an endangered
species ;) Ho hum.

John

John Cheshire
AKA A Baritone....... Who, little me?