Great talent, excellent voices. No problem for pubertal girls?

Wivine Decoster, S. Ghesquière

Concerned with respect to the vocal health of 17 girls (9;9 y.-16;11 y. old) singing in the Antwerp Cathedral Choir (B) we focused on two aspects: the variety in physical and vocal development and the matching of vocal demands and vocal abilities. To answer the question of variety, we used Gackle’s developmental model of voice mutation in female adolescents. The girl’s answers on a questionnaire combined with the acoustical analysis of de speaking and singing voice revealed a high variety. Moreover, we experienced more than expected difficulties to apply the guidelines while classifying the girls in the most appropriate developmental stage. Nevertheless, Gackle’s model seems a useful tool for that purpose.
Next, the maximal frequency range of the girls was compared to the total frequency range of the singing repertoire. The lower limit of the frequency range of all girls was several semitones below the lowest notes of the songs they were working on. However the upper limit of the songs was problematic for fourteen girls: for eight of them the highest note to sing was above their upper frequency limit, in six girls the upper limit of the repertoire coincided with their highest possible singing pitch.
These findings are helpful for choir directors, parents and vocal teachers to adopt the vocal demands, depending on the developmental stage of each individual girl.

Decoster, W*, Ghesquière S.*
*Speech Language Pathology and Audiology
Labo ExpORL - dept. Neurosciences
Herestraat 49, O&N2, 721
B - 3000 Leuven
tel: +32 (0)16 33 04 84 fax: +32 (0)16 33 04 86
Wivine.Decoster@med.kuleuven.be