kahane63
Kahane’s drawings demonstrate succinctly the conclusions noted above; namely, that the larynges of prepubescent boys and girls are nearly identical in size; that prepubescent and pubescent girls undergo minimal growth; and, finally that the most dramatic mutation occurs between prepubescent and pubescent males. “…It is noteworthy, however, that though the male and female vocal folds reach essentially adult size by puberty, the absolute increase in the male amounted to 10.87 millimeters as compared to 4.16 millimeters in the female. The significantly greater growth of the male vocal folds compared with the female explains, in part, the structural bases for the dramatic drop in fundamental frequency in the male voice during puberty.”
   Given the significant vocal mutation taking place in pubescent males, one has to wonder if it is advisable for boys to sing during this period. “In the 1940s vocal teachers did not believe a male adolescent could sing during vocal mutation.” This view is not widely shared today. Indeed, Collins goes on to assert that boys “…can sing completely throughout vocal mutation without any detriment to the vocal instrument as long as they sing music written in accordance with the range and tessitura limitations of the adolescent voice. No attempt should be made ‘to make the voice fit already existing music.’ The music ‘should be made to fit the voice’”
   The difficulties appear in selecting appropriate literature, offering the boys emotional support and providing them with a safe space within which they can experiment with their new voices, and, perhaps most important, properly classifying them and working within their inherent registers—a critical step in properly assisting pubescent males to continue to sing healthfully during their teen years.