Vocal Pedagogy for Aging Singers

Article Summary: “Vocal Pedagogy for Aging Singers”

Baritone, performer, and teacher Robert Edwin’s Article in the 68^th Volume of the Journal of Singing focused on pedagogy for older singers. Traditionally when one thinks of vocal student the age demographic does not extend past the age of forty (generously). Edwin’s article uses both examples from his own experiences but he goes in to the most detail by using his student Henry, a ninety year old currently performing singer, as a prime example.

Now, imagine the voice of a ninety year old baritone, what comes to mind probably sounds strained, or some failed legato line with a wide and sagging vibrato. However, more and more evidence is showing that singers may continue to sing, classically at least, well past their seventies; as we have seen with Placido Domingo.

Teaching older students may not be as different as we first anticipated either. Edwin states that “All singers need to continually address individual aspects of the singing system, the ‘itions’ . . . position, respiration, audiation, phonation, resonation, articulation, and emotion.” However there is one added for older singers and that is “expectation.”

Our bodies are our instruments and as the body ages, its ability to function at optimum efficiency changes. Aging affects accuracy, speed, endurance, stability, strength, coordination, breathing capacity, nerve and heart output—all of which effect one’s ability to sing. Edwin then goes through and explains his “itions” as they relate to aging singers.

Position & Respiration: Edwin uses extra physical reinforcement, lifting the arms above one’s head to open the ribcage. However he does not address the issue of posture as it pertains to wakening of the spine as some students of an older age may be unable to stand with good posture. Respiration is affected by breathing, both of which are made easier by healthy physical condition. Edwin claims that age is no excuse for inactivity. More so than younger singers, muscle tone will be limiting factor in how well older singers can perform.

Audiation & Phonation: Singers of all ages have audiation problems, it is good to change warm up patterns and not merely ascend by half steps in a predictable fashion in order to keep singers on their toes. The source of most pitch problems has more to do with vocal fold function that senses of aural feedback. As for phonation the question with older singers is how many of their phonations challenges are caused by deteriorating vocal fold function and how many are due to inconsistent practicing habits. Vibrato can widen from lack of practice which can be noticeable after 48 hours without practicing at any age!

Resonation: Resonators will only amplify sound the sound it receives. As is practiced with younger singers, try to get your older student to experiment with varying spaces like “wicked witch” vs. “Julia child”

Articulation: Older singers with dentures run in to similar problems with articulation as younger singers with braces. This problem can be alleviated by incorporating consonants into vocal warm ups to exercise the tongue, lips, jaw etc.

Emotion: The one area where older singers seem to have an inherent advantage with their wealth of life experiences.

Expectation: Students of the more seasoned by time must learn to adjust their expectations. They face many of the same challenges younger singers face, but they are moving away from their vocal peak, while younger singers are approaching it. For older singer the goal is to retain positive habits despite the challenges of aging; many younger singers, look forward to reaching vocal maturity as up to a point it yields their maximum potential.

To quote Angela Carlson, “everyone is old once, if you’re lucky you will get old too!”