Sound mind and body for the perfect pitch

CHENNAI: For a singer, hitting the right note may be as much about health as it is about talent. As the Margazhi music and dance fest is all set to begin, it’s important for vocalists to understand how physiological changes and aging can have an effect on vocal chords, say doctors.
Hyperthyroidism, for instance, can cause singers to lose control of their voice, while those undergoing fertility treatment may notice tremors in their voice, says Dr Prakash Boominathan.Spondylitis may result in a squawk mid-kutcheri, while menopause does have the tendency to lower the range.

For Carnatic and playback singer T N Krishnachandran, it was a sudden bout of anxiety a few years ago that triggered a change in his voice, the after-effects of which lasted months. He lost his voice during the recording of a Carnatic music show, which he was hosting. "I was interviewing a singer who was so amateurish that I got stressed. My blood pressure shot up and my voice became gruff and husky. I could not get it back and we had to cancel the recording," says Krishnachandran, who has sung more than 1,000 songs, including several for composer Illaiyaraja in the 1980s.
When physicians couldn’t offer a cure, he consulted a speech pathologist who, with vocal exercises and meditation, helped him regain his tone and composure. "A changing voice is natural, but for professional singers it can be frightening when they find they cannot hit notes they could handle with ease," says Dr Boominathan, a speech pathologist at Sri Ramachandra Hospital.
Conditions like hypothyroidism, says Dr Boominathan, can lead to a deepening of voice, while an overproduction of adrenaline due to an underlying medical condition can cause a voice breakdown. "During fertility treatment, progesterone is administered, and this can cause voice tremors, or a deeper pitch. Sometimes these changes are irreversible," he says. "Singers often seek medical help late because they don’t want people to know about it as it can affect their career."
Carnatic musician T V Gopalakrishnan, who has written a book on the science behind the voice, says Indian classical singers are not trained to throw their voices using the diaphragm, which is why problems can develop. "The system slowly degenerates, and the lifestyle can aggravate it. For instance, spondylitis or a stiff neck can affect the range. Certain mannerisms like throwing the head upwards when you touch the upper octaves can crunch the vocal chords and sound box and cause the voice to crack," says Gopalakrishnan. "Singers need to do breathing exercises, physical training and practice the right posture. I am 88 years old and can still hold four octaves because of constant voice strengthening."
Like sportspersons, singers must exercise the vocal chords with a focus on endurance, flexibility and strength training, says Dr Boominathan, who recently conducted a workshop on voco-ergonomics for vocalists, music teachers and students.