Patrick, 14, asks: At what age does the average male voice finish developing?
Answer: You may know that the bones of new born infants are somewhat malleable. Where an adult’s radius and ulna (fore-arm bones) would snap and break, a baby’s might just bend. Malleableness, flexibility, is especially true of the structure of the larynx … because, except for the hyoid bone (the only bone in the body not directly attached to another bone) the structural parts of the larynx are made up of cartilaginous material. This cartilage while very supple in youth, gradually hardens, but does not completely harden (in a man) until about age 35 (a necessary generalization). Therefore, it is at this age that a man’s voice can be said to have reached maturity … and is not going to undergo significant changes from here on. During the period from puberty (voice change) to early thirties, a male singer is wise to grasp and settle into good habits of singing so that the voice can develop to its potential.
Tags: cartilage, first vocal maturity, larynx