Do Age-Related Changes in the Mature Female Voice have a Detrimental Effect on Vocal Agility?

Objective
The literature suggests that age-related changes to a singers’ musculoskeletal system and the typical problem of atrophy, bowing or oedema of the vocal folds can result in loss of vocal agility. Furthermore, changes to the vocal tract due to the ongoing process of ossification and calcification can lead to constriction. The throat needs to be free of all tension in order to perform the virtuosic style of singing known as coloratura.
Method
There were 34 amateur choral singers and 10 professional singers a baseline comparison was drawn from both groups and a longitudinal analysis was drawn from the main cohort tested annually over 4 years. They were asked to perform 2 exercises one with text and one without. These were the first eight bars from lesson 7 of Vaccai’s Metodo Pratico and the first eight bars from Panofka’s 24 vocalizzi. The second exercise was sung to an Italian A vowel. The volunteers sang these exercises, and the speed was noted in beats per minute. The task repeated getting faster each time. The fastest speed was noted.
The data were collated in a column chart which indicated the results for each volunteer, over four years. Secondly, a box and whisker chart showed the distribution of the results and the extent of any outliers. Finally, the data set was analysed using JASP statistics software (Version 0.16.3). The results of the main cohort were compared to the group of professional singers which provided the comparative data, and the longitudinal data came from the analyses of the main cohort tested annually over 4 years.
Results
Either singing with text or without indicated that the main cohort achieved a statistically significant improvement over time. Comparison of the first data collection of the main cohort to the professionals showed that the professionals were highly significantly better, but comparison to the fourth data collection indicated very little difference.
Conclusions
Despite age-related changes it is possible for amateur singers to maintain or improve their vocal agility over time.
Dr. Rebecca Moseley-Morgan
PhD, MA (mus), BA (hons), ARCM(hons), FISM
Chair of Education British Voice Association
Specialist voice teacher for the mature voice
Author and researcher