The Old Songs

I am going to state the obvious. Many, if not most, barbershop singers are advancing in age. It is not unusual to find men and women who are singing into their 60s, 70s, and 80s. The love of this hobby — the music, the entertaining, the competing, the fellowship — sticks with you. Studies and common sense have shown that we tend to repeat pleasurable or satisfying experiences.

As we get older, however, our voices can change. Perhaps we can no longer hit those high notes that we once did with ease. Maybe a warble has crept into our vocal production that wasn’t there before. We no longer can sustain a long phrase like we used to. Maybe what was once pleasurable and satisfying is no longer so.

The bad news is that it can happen to the best of us. I have noticed this in my own abilities, and those within my chapter. The good news is that it can be corrected. Dispair and frustration can be turned into hope and a better singing experience. But it takes some work.

I recently spoke with some other directors and a Barbershop Harmony Society music educator on this very topic. The KEY to solving this problem they all tell me (no real surprise) is in the breath. Proper breath support, the concept of using “warm air” to support the tone, and taking more frequent breaths within a phrase will all help this problem.

And let me add two others: Patience and Persistence! It has probably taken years for bad habits to be formed. When we were younger, maybe we could get away with a few bad singing habits. Not so as we age. It will take time (maybe not years) to reverse the trend. I know that many want to have a quick fix or instant solution to get them back into their prime singing condition, but the truth is that there is no quick fix. But there is a way, there is hope, and there are results that you can expect to hear in a relatively short time.

Bottom line, though, is that you as the singer must do the work necessary to make the change. All of the education and instruction in the world won’t do a bit of good unless you implement the needed changes.

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