Ask the experts

What harms children’s voices?

Are there any physical signs to look out for to show that a child might be straining when they are singing?

The key is to consider what might be ‘high-impact’ voicing. If children shout for the duration of a football match their vocal folds may become swollen and their speaking voice husky. By the next day their voice will be mostly recovered. However, if this is repeated too frequently, the voice won’t fully recover between times and longer-term damage could be sustained. The same is true of high-impact singing: loud and/or high. If the singer takes a heavy voice quality too high in pitch for too long (when singing becomes a bit shouty), they may injure the soft tissue of the vocal folds. This will be heard as a slight huskiness or breathiness in the speaking voice. The rule is to save extreme vocalising for select occasions!

Physical signs that indicate problems often originate from the body being out of balance: lifting the chin, pushing the head forward, hollowing the back, slumping, over-opening the jaw, tensing/lifting the shoulders or gripping the jaw. These can all lead to muscle tension or strain within the larynx, which can limit the pitch range and eventually weaken the voice.

It is easy to see if singers are getting into any of the above physical imbalances; regular reminders about lengthening the back and loosening the shoulders and jaw are good, even for the most accomplished singers. The good news is that children’s voices are amazingly robust: if they do get injured they can be quick to heal. However, it takes to un-learn the habits which may have caused the problem in the first place. 

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Stuart Barr is President of the British Voice Association, a Vocal Coach at the Royal Academy of Music and a judge for BBC Choir of the Year. He is also a governor of an inner London primary school.

Jenevora Williams PhD is a singing teacher, Singing Consultant and teacher-in-residence for the National Youth Choir and has taught at The Royal College of Music and Surrey University. Recently, she was awarded a PhD from the Institute of Education for her research into the vocal health and development of choristers.