00:00Ah, changing voice.
00:02It's something many of us experienced, even the legends.
00:05Take Elton John as an example.
00:08He still wows the crowds with his live performance, but anyone who's followed his music career
00:13knows his voice has gone through some changes over the years.
00:17We're not just talking about the surgery he had in the 80s, but the natural evolution
00:22of his vocal cords.
00:25How does the vocal cords system work then?
00:27When air passes through your vocal cords, they vibrate and create sound.
00:32There are different parts involved, like the vocalis muscle, the vocal ligament, and a
00:36protective mucous membrane.
00:38Think of it as a vocal dream team.
00:41Let's examine the major changing zones of the vocals.
00:45Ah, the wonders of puberty.
00:47It's a time of surprises, with unexpected cracks and squeaks in your voice, but it's all part
00:52of the process.
00:54Hormones start wreaking havoc on your voice during this time.
00:57During teenage years, your body is going through some major changes.
01:01Your voice is along for the ride.
01:03In boys, this happens between 12 and 16, and in girls between 10 and 14 years old.
01:11Before puberty, your voice box, also known as the larynx, sits high up in your neck.
01:15But as you go through puberty, it starts to grow and move down lower.
01:20Your vocal cords get in on the action too.
01:22They thicken and enlarge, creating those infamous voice changes.
01:26Let's fast forward a bit to the grown-up years.
01:29As we age, our voices may change once again, but it's not a universal experience.
01:35Even after puberty, hormones can still mess with your voice.
01:38The second major change in our voice happens when we get older.
01:42Our vocal mechanisms get older with us.
01:45The larynx, which is our voice box, and the respiratory system that power our voice, start
01:50to show signs of aging.
01:52The joints of the larynx become stiffer, and those supporting muscles, ligaments, and tissues,
01:57yeah, they start losing their elasticity.
02:00Have you ever cringed at the sound of your own voice on a recording?
02:06You're not alone.
02:07It's a common discomfort that comes from a mix of science and psychology.
02:12When you listen to a recording, the sound travels through the air and reaches your ears
02:16through air conduction.
02:18It goes through your eardrum and tiny ear bones, and eventually stimulates nerves that
02:23send signals to your brain.
02:25But here's the thing.
02:26When you speak, the sound of your voice reaches your inner ear in a different way.
02:31Some of it still goes through air conduction, but a lot of it travels directly through your
02:36skull bones.
02:37This internal bone conduction gives your voice a deeper and richer quality when you hear yourself
02:42speak.
02:43So when you listen to a recording, it might sound thinner and higher pitched, which can
02:48be a bit of a cringe.
02:50That's not all.
02:51Hearing a recording of your voice can also be unsettling, because it's like hearing a new
02:56version of yourself.
02:58Your self-perception and the reality of how you sound don't always match up.
03:03Your voice is unique and carries a part of your identity, so this mismatch can be quite
03:07jarring.
03:09Suddenly, you realize that others have been hearing a different voice all along.
03:13A study conducted in 2005 asked patients with voice problems to rate their own voices when
03:19played back to them.
03:21Surprisingly, the patients tended to give more negative ratings to their recorded voices compared
03:26to objective assessments by clinicians.
03:29So it seems like we might be our own harshest critics when it comes to this.
03:33The first human voice was recorded in France in 1860.
03:39It was 10 seconds of a French folk song.
03:46Voice recording has come a long way since then.
03:50Voice messaging, live calls, and live transcription integrated into cloud systems are now basic
03:56features.
03:56With the rise of AI, we will surely see more advances.
04:02Did you know that singing and speaking use different parts of our brains?
04:07Singing is like a right brain thing, while speaking is more left brain dominant.
04:12Sometimes after a stroke, when people can't speak anymore, they can still sing.
04:17Now, let's talk about some vocal superstars.
04:20There's Jill Drake from England, who holds the record for the loudest human voice.
04:25Her screen reached 129 decibels.
04:29That's as loud as an ACDC concert.
04:32On the other side of the world record spectrum, we have Tim Storms.
04:36He hit the lowest note ever sung.
04:40His sound was so low that it was beyond what our ears could hear.
04:45To capture it, specialists needed a special microphone.
04:48Tim also has an incredible vocal range, 10 octaves.
04:52Did you ever get laryngitis and try to protect your voice by whispering?
04:59Turns out that that might not be the best idea.
05:03Otolaryngologists, those fancy doctors who specialize in ear, nose, and throat stuff,
05:08say that whispering can actually be worse for your vocal cords than regular speech.
05:12But hold on a second.
05:15Dr. Robert T. Sadelop, a super smart otolaryngologist, who also happens to be an opera singer, decided to test this whispering theory.
05:24He gathered a team of experts and recruited 100 people to be a part of his study.
05:29They stuck fiber optic scopes down their throats and participants counted from 1 to 10,
05:35first using their normal voice and then whispering.
05:37Guess what they found?
05:40In 69 of the subjects, whispering actually strained their vocal cords more.
05:46It's like they were squeezing their cords together tighter to produce those hushed sounds,
05:50which turned out to be more traumatic for their voices.
05:5418 of the subjects showed no change, and luckily for the rest, whispering was easier on their vocal cords.
05:59So, instead of whispering, if you need to talk to someone right next to you without everyone else in the room hearing your conversation,
06:07maybe text that person.
06:11Now, speaking of protecting the voice,
06:14don't worry, there are ways to keep those vocal cords in tip-top shape, even if you're getting older.
06:20Lifestyle plays a role in all of this, so maybe it's time to reconsider some habits.
06:25Singing or reading out loud every day can give your vocal cords the exercise they need to slow down the aging process.
06:32Oh, and let's not forget the importance of hydration.
06:36And, um, tone it down if you're getting into those video games or sports.
06:40Watch out for the loud yelling and screaming.
06:43It can strain your voice and mess things up.
06:45If you must yell, keep it short and sweet.
06:48Get warmed up.
06:49Before you go out there to teach, speak, or sing, give those neck and shoulder muscles a little stretch.
06:56And don't forget to hum a bit or play around with different sounds from low to high.
07:01Take it easy when you're under the weather.
07:03If you're hoarse from a cold or flu, don't push yourself.
07:07Resist the throat-clearing urge.
07:09When you've got a post-nasal trip or a pesky cold, don't go clearing your throat all the time.
07:14Sip some water or have a soothing cough drop instead.
07:17Lastly, share the talk time.
07:21If you've been chattering away all day due to work, let someone else do the talking for a change.
07:27Give your vocal cords a rest.
07:29They'll totally appreciate it.
07:32Remember, there's hope for our aging voices.
07:35If you're experiencing voice issues, it's a good idea to see a voice specialist.
07:40Someone who knows all the ins and outs of the vocals.
07:44They'll examine your vocal cords and work their magic.
07:47You might be prescribed some voice rehabilitation therapy with daily exercises to strengthen your voice.
07:53Or perhaps you'll need some vocal cord microsurgery to deal with pesky lesions.
07:58And hey, if your vocal cords need a little plumping, vocal fold injection might do the trick.
08:03They'll give your voice a little boost.
08:05Oh, and did you know that your voice is unique?
08:09Just like your fingerprint, it's one of a kind.
08:12No one else on the planet sounds exactly like you.
08:15Never forget that you're special.
08:17No one else on the planet sounds exactly like you.
08:18No one else on the planet sounds exactly like you.
08:19No one else on the planet sounds exactly like you.
08:20No one else on the planet sounds exactly like you.
08:21No one else on the planet sounds exactly like you.
08:22No one else on the planet sounds exactly like you.
08:23No one else on the planet sounds exactly like you.
08:24No one else on the planet sounds exactly like you.
08:25No one else on the planet sounds exactly like you.
08:26No one else on the planet sounds exactly like you.
08:27No one else on the planet sounds exactly like you.
08:28No one else on the planet sounds exactly like you.
08:29No one else on the planet sounds exactly like you.
08:30No one else on the planet sounds exactly like you.
08:31No one else on the planet sounds exactly like you.
08:32No one else on the planet sounds exactly like you.
08:33No one else on the planet sounds exactly like you.
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