The Truth About The Aging Voice

“My voice has changed since menopause and I don’t know how to get it back.” 

A singer said that to me recently. 

Ali, maybe you’ve struggled with this also & have noticed changes that have felt frustrating. 

⤍ “My range is shrinking.”

⤍ “High notes don’t feel reliable anymore.”

⤍ “My voice feels thinner and drier.”

⤍ “I don’t bounce back the way I used to.”

You are not alone!

Two months ago, I attended a workshop called Understanding the Aging Voice: Tools for Sustainable Singing led by Dr. Edward Damrose, head of laryngology at Stanford.

And one of the most powerful takeaways?

Aging is not a vocal failure.

It’s biology.

As we age, the vocal folds can thin.

Muscle bulk can decrease.

Hormonal shifts can affect flexibility and lubrication.

Breath capacity may change.

This is not a sign you “did something wrong.”

It’s not a lack of discipline. 

It’s tissue.

AND it's frustrating and totally disorienting.

But....fighting it doesn't lead to freedom.

What does help?

Understanding what’s happening.

Working with your instrument as it is now.

Building sustainability instead of chasing your 25-year-old voice.

That might look like:

– Picking pieces that fit your voice and lowering keys so your voice can bloom instead of strain.

– Drinking more water.

– Extending warmups to prioritize coordination before power.

– Protect your ears. (Hearing loss is common as we age.)

– Incorporating more frequent, shorter practice sessions.

AND......

– Using SOVT exercises regularly to maintain flexibility and balance.

Oh yes, let’s talk about SOVTs for a minute. (If you've been following me for even a minute, you've probably heard me mention them!)

Semi-occluded vocal tract exercises- like straw phonation, lip trills, humming- partially close the mouth, which changes the pressure system in the vocal tract.

That back pressure helps the vocal folds come together more efficiently, reducing impact stress and supporting coordination.

In plain English?

They help your voice work smarter, not harder.

And that matters even more as we age.

I’ve seen singers in their 50s, 60s, 70s 80s, and yes 90s regain ease, range, and stamina-  not by trying to overpower change, but by working with it.

Here’s the thing, though.

If your identity is tied to “the voice I used to have,” you will constantly feel like you’re losing something.

But if your identity shifts to “a singer who evolves,” everything changes.

What we label as “decline” is actually a redistribution of strengths.

More warmth.

More depth.

More nuance.

What if this next chapter isn’t about getting your old voice back?

What if it’s about meeting the voice you have now and discovering what it can do? 

That’s where a whole-system approach becomes essential.

Not just vocal exercises.

But nervous system regulation.

Mindset.

Repertoire choices that serve your current instrument.

When you approach singing as integration instead of restoration, you experience more confidence, more freedom, and more joy without obsessing over what’s changed.

You stop trying to win a fight with time.

And start building a relationship with your instrument.

If you’ve quietly wondered whether it’s “too late”…

IT'S NOT.

It may be different.

But different doesn’t mean diminished.

It means evolving.

And evolution, when supported properly, can be incredibly beautiful.

Cheers to sustainable singing. 🥂