All I Want for the Holidays Is My Manly Voice
This might be comical to the general public. But if you are a young man with a growing Adam’s apple, pubertal changes and are frequently living a Brady Bunch episode of Peter squawking “Time to Change,” life’s not so amusing.
What causes it?
Puberty is taxing for all youth, but this stage can be especially challenging for teen boys. “Puberty for boys usually occurs from 11 to 16 years of age. Vocal changes only happen for a year or two out of that—and they typically happen later in the range,” says Dr. Steve Schuman, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics in the Division of Adolescent Medicine at Children’s Mercy Hospital & Clinics in Kansas City, MO.
“This (vocal) transitional phase is related to the size of the voice box. As the larynx or voice box and the vocal cords get thicker and larger, it changes how sound goes through them,” says Dr. Schuman.
When a boy is young, his vocal cords are thin and short. This is what makes his voice higher than adult males. The bigger and longer the cords, the deeper the voice becomes. During the transition, the mechanism doesn’t know how to deal with the change effectively. When the growing of the vocal equipment stops, the vocal “cracking” ceases.
“Kind of like a virtuoso who is playing a violin and he accidentally lets up on the string. There’s a squeak on the violin, when it’s not being played accurately—same kind of sound production with the male voice,” Dr. Schuman analogizes.
Dealing with vocal cracks
First, suggest your son try clearing his throat/voice and then waiting for a few seconds for the mechanism to calm down. Dehydration makes this condition worse. “Lubricating the vocal cords can lessen the problem,” suggests Dr. Schuman. Increasing the intake of clear fluids, decreasing the amount of caffeine and, if still needed, taking cough drops or hard candies can keep the vocal cords lubricated.
After all…with a little bit of patience and awkward squawking, your boy will have that deep voice he has been waiting for!
Stacey Hatton is a humorist, pediatric RN and mother to two fabulous girls who are likely to remain either sopranos or altos. Chat her up at her blog at www.NurseMommyLaughs.com.