From: Tako Oda
To: VOCALIST <vocalist>
Subject: TECH: Body size/Height & Vocal Range
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

RALUCOB-at-aol.com wrote:
> do you know if the 'cracking' voice at puberty occurs more in asian boys
> who grow up speaking english (or any western language ) as opposed to their
> ancestral language?

This is just a guess, but I'd bet Brian Asawa and Randall Wong grew up
speaking English. Mera is native Japanese, but he's an exception anyway,
as he has a natural tenorino speaking voice. Sorry to say I know very
little about David Lee. It's interesting what you are suggesting,
though!

Certain languages promote different uses of the voice for
everyday speech. So language might be a factor... but then maybe the
chicken comes before the egg. Maybe a population speaks a certain way
because of how their voice boxes are designed.

Also, much of the folk music of Japan sits right *on* the break for men
- A lot of singing in and around the transition. Some Japanese theatre
styles demand glissandi across the 1st bridge. Nature or nurture...?

Tako Oda
Graduate Student in Composition
Mills College Music Department
http://www.mills.edu/PEOPLE/gr.pages/toda.public.html/music/singer.html