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Wednesday, March 25, 2009
posted by klake at 9:21 PM
When boys hit puberty they have physiological changes to the larynx that cause deepening of the voice. The larynx gets bigger, stronger and longer, and until the brain accommodates for the physical changes the voice can crack and make unpredictable sounds.
While listening to a BBC radio show today I learned that female voices change also. The larynx enlarges, and until the brain compensates by accommodating the change with different epiglottis movements the voice sounds “breathy”. That is why some females in their teens and early twenties have a sexy, breathy sort of voice.
When I was in school I didn’t speak in class much because I was shy. When I did contribute in class discussions I was very nervous. One day in English class the teacher asked a question and no one would answer. I planned exactly what I would say, put up my hand, and answered the question. Immediately after I spoke the teacher talked about a girl she knew who had a high, breathy voice and no one took her seriously until she started talking like a normal person. I could have died. In front of all of my classmates she told me that I sounded ridiculous. It wasn’t until my junior year of college before I was able to raise my hand and speak in class without breaking into a sweat. For a decade now I have thought that I sounded stupid when I spoke. But now I know that it wasn’t my fault, it was my epiglottis adjusting to changes in my larynx. So there you go, Miss D. Not my fault.
Comments:
What a horrible experience. I never thought your voice was high-pitched or breathy, but maybe that's because mine was too!
# posted byUnknown : 9:24 AM
In the time that I have known you, which admittedly started at undergrad orientation, so summer after senior year, I have never thought that your voice was breathy or particularly high-pitched, and I am very sensitive to such things, generally.Post a Comment
I hope that all is well in your direction. Perhaps some day this summer I could visit you guys and we could hang out, I could meet Peter now that he is surely becoming a person. :) And I miss the Penn-ster.
# posted by
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