Music Extension Investigation – Task 1
Adolescent Vocal Health
By Roh Whittaker
1.0. Introduction 1
2.0. Physiology of the Voice 2
2.1. Larynx 2
2.2. Respiratory System 3
3.0. Health and Hygiene 5
3.1. Vocal Health and Hygiene 5
3.1.1. Warm Up and Rest 5
3.1.2. Consumption of Water 6
3.1.3. Medication 6
3.2. Respiratory Health and Hygiene 6
4.0. Risks and Prevention 7
4.1. Risks 7
4.1.1. Nodes 7
4.1.2. Polyps 8
4.2. Prevention 8
5.0. Conclusion 9
6.0. Bibliography 10
1.0. Introduction
Adolescence is a time of dramatic change within any given individual. It is a time of physical change. It is a time of hormonal change. And it is a time of mental, social and emotional change. The brain during ones adolescence has a gift for recording memories and feelings to be recollected years later, commonly known as “The Reminiscence Bump” (Rayner, 1976). This seems to exist not because the brains memories formation capabilities themselves are greater in adolescence but more so because every day experiences in that period of life result in extremely heightened emotional response, thus creating vivid imprints in one’s memory. And because experiences in the adolescent stages are much more vivid, it is one of the best stages, if not the best, to intervene in harmful behaviours. Intervention in the adolescent singer’s minimal anatomical knowledge and harmful vocal behaviours is the focus of this report.
2.0. Physiology of the Voice
2.1. Larynx
The larynx is composed of four primary cartilages and numerous muscles (VoiceFoundation, 2018). The epiglottis acts as a protective flap, which covers the glottis to protect the air ay during swallowing. The thyroid cartilage forms the front of the larynx and acts a shield for the front of the glottis. ,The cricoid sits below the thyroid, in the shape of a signet ring and it is larger in the back than in the front (posteriorly vs. anteriorly). The arytenoids area a pair of cartilages located superior to the cricoid and posteriorly to the vocal folds (Dimon, 2018).
During adolescence the cartilages of the larynx are most soft and flexible and become harder into early adulthood and continue to do so until they are bone like (Dimon, 2018).Figure 1: Cartilages of the Larynx
The muscle groups integral to the singing voice are highlighted here, beginning with the intrinsic laryngeal muscles and their functions followed by an overview of the extrinsic muscles which can affect singing. All of the intrinsic muscles of the larynx function as a pair, with the one labelled on Figure 7.2.
As with all the other muscles of the human body, the origin and insertion points name the muscles of the larynx. The muscle pair responsible for the opening or adducting the glottis is the posterior cricoarytenoids (labelled A in Fig. 2) which connect the cricoid and arytenoid cartilages (Dimon, 2018).
The muscles responsible for bringing the focal folds together (adduction) are the lateral cricoarytenoids, which close the posterior section of...
