Recovering a singing voice from years ago?!
Question: I sang all through junior high, high school, college, and sang in a couple of symphony choruses after that. However, after I had my third child 22 years ago, I stopped singing. I used to be a high soprano and now I've lost my singing voice and my range. Is there any chance that I can recover my range if I start singing again? Or should I reconcile myself to being an alto from now on? I'm 51.
Answers: I sang all through junior high, high school, college, and sang in a couple of symphony choruses after that. However, after I had my third child 22 years ago, I stopped singing. I used to be a high soprano and now I've lost my singing voice and my range. Is there any chance that I can recover my range if I start singing again? Or should I reconcile myself to being an alto from now on? I'm 51.
At 51 a few things can be happening.
First, most women's voices deepen and darken as they age. the voice you had in your 20s is not the voice you have in your 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, etc.
Second, years of lack of use results in the muscles losing their ability to control and you lose the "stretch" you used to have in your vocal chords, etc. Your diaphragm is out of shape.
Third, perimeopause and menopause wreak havoc on voices because of the change in hormones. That doesn't mean every woman who is a soprano will become an alto - it just means that things are going to change with your physiology.
Fourth, there are a lot of other physical changes with aging including hydration (just like your skin tends to be dryer, so will you vocal chords).
Fifth, you may or may not be an alto/mezzo now. I'd take voice lessons and work really hard on rebuilding technique for at least 6 months before attempting to mak that determination.
MOST IMPORTANTLY!!! Voice lessons taken with a dash of reality will make you a singer again. There is no age where it is too late to start singing again. Many women love the way their voices gain character as they get older. You can't spend your entire life singing the 15 year old soubrette and spinto roles in the opera. I say embrace your voice - whatever it is today; make it be best you possibly can; and get out there and share your passion for singing with others.
You'll only find out by practicing!
Join a local choir as an alto and see how it goes -- you should find that your range increases with regualr use.
Singers in my mind are a lot like athletes and the voice is like a muscle that has to be trained and will weaken if just ignored. You can retrain it, but you have to be extremely careful as the voice can be delicate. You don't want to push to hard.
I would really recommend finding a teacher or coach in your area. They'll help you with exercises and technique. On your own you may try singing some scales everyday and using a couple key principles of technique -
1. Stand up straight - spine straight, neck in alignment, and make sure your whole body is free of tension.
2. Breath deep - fill all available space in your body. Feel the breath fill your lungs, stomach and lower back.
3. Open your throat - imagine a golf ball back there, that will help.
Also, when you sing picture the sound going out the top of your head.
It is hard to give a responsible opinion without actually hearing you and working it out with you over a period of a few weeks.
My guess is that it is a little rusty, but it is still there underneath. I doubt that you are suddely an alto:::once a soprano always a soprano.
x