The following concepts are of particular importance for teachers and conductors to understand and employ when working with young female singers:
It is generally accepted that voice change is not complete until the mid-twenties or thirties, so whether we teach middle school, high school or even college women, we are all working with changing voices. However, when we speak of vocal mutation in females, we are talking about the “high point of mutation” – which occurs during adolescence.
Most girls’ voices in junior high and even high school are sopranos/mezzo sopranos. With that in mind, it is important to:
Keep the voice flexible, vocalizing both directions as long as it is comfortable for the singer.
With young female singers, use equal voice music – music in which the soprano and the alto ranges are relatively equal. Also, use unison literature to develop tone in young female singers.
Listen to changing voices frequently. Remember that classification when referring to changing voices means classification according to phases of change. Once this has been determined, placement on the appropriate voice part follows: S1, S2, Alto.
Place voices on different vocal parts when voice change dictates.
Recognize that females experience many of the same challenges as boys during this mutational period (decreased range, breathiness of tone, insecurity of pitch, voice breaks/cracks, as well as the negative impact on self-confidence and self- esteem).
Understand the challenges inherent in voice change. For instance, breathiness of tone in the changing voice (male and female) is a facet of the anatomical changing/growth process. However, with good breath management techniques along with exercises which encourage resonance, much of the extraneous breathiness can be removed, leaving only that which is truly developmental in nature.
Select quality literature by considering appropriateness/worthiness of text, range/tessitura, quality of the composition, appropriate level of difficulty. Remember, the music is our TEXTBOOK!
Employ good vocal techniques. As each singer masters techniques and skills that enhance her own voice, she, in essence, is finding her voice literally and figuratively. This discovery engenders a sense of accomplishment, self-confidence, and ultimately, excellence within the ensemble, which one hopes is manifested in other aspects of her life.
(The ACDA National Conference is just one of the many benefits of membership in the American Choral Directors Association. Join ACDA today.)
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