Your 14-year-old wants to sing. Then his voice cracks halfway through a sentence, and you start to wonder about two things. Is it safe to start lessons while his voice is changing? And is it worth paying for while everything is shifting?
Both are fair questions. In short, lessons can be safe when the teacher works with the voice he has this month, not the one he’ll have next year. Whether they’re worth it depends on what you expect them to do right now.
What is happening to his voice
During puberty the larynx and vocal cords grow, and KidsHealth says that is why the voice cracks while the body adjusts. It calls the croaks and squeaks a normal, natural part of this stage. Voices usually start changing between about 11 and 14½, typically just after the main growth spurt.
There is no fixed timetable. Music Teacher magazine says the most common age is 12 to 15 but not always, and some boys stay in an in-between stage for many months.
Is it safe to take singing lessons during voice change?
The older advice was to stop singing during the change. A guide for choir directors on the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) site notes that this advice has been challenged, and cites work from 1956 and 1970 arguing that boys should keep singing through the change.
The same guide is clear that it isn’t risk-free. Without good practice, there may be vocal health issues, and teachers must be “very vigilant” for signs of strain. So the question is how the teaching is done.
What a careful teacher does
- Checks his range regularly and chooses songs that fit his voice right now.
- Avoids songs with extreme high or low notes.
- Keeps warm-ups within a comfortable range and doesn’t tire him out before he sings.
- Treats a crack as normal, and looks for what caused it instead of drawing attention to it.
- Explains what puberty is doing to his voice, so he understands it.
What to avoid
- Pushing him to reach the high notes he had last year.
- Choosing pop songs that sit outside his current range.
- Any teacher who calls his voice “broken”. Music Teacher magazine suggests “changing” instead, because “breaking” implies damage.
Is it worth the money?
Here is the honest answer. Lessons won’t stop his voice from changing, speed it up, or promise how it will end up. Don’t pay for promises like that.
What lessons can do:
- Keep him singing. Music Teacher magazine says boys who stop singing in their teens rarely resume as adults.
- Match songs to his voice this month, so he isn’t straining.
- Help him notice effort and tension, which makes it easier to tell comfortable singing from forced singing.
- Support his confidence so that a crack in front of friends isn’t the end of the world. If he sings freely at home but freezes in front of people, this article on children who sing at home but not in front of people may help.
- Give you a regular check-in. A teacher who listens to his voice every week can tell you when something changes, and when to get it checked.
When it makes sense to start now
- He’s asking for lessons, or is already singing a lot.
- He has an audition, a school event or a performance coming up.
- The cracks embarrass him and he needs a safe place to practise.
When waiting is reasonable
- He’s lukewarm about it, and the lessons are mostly your idea.
- The budget is tight. A school choir or singing with friends keeps him singing, and you can revisit lessons in a few months.
Four questions to ask any teacher before you book
- How do you work with a changing voice?
- How do you decide which songs suit him right now?
- What do you do when his voice cracks in a lesson?
- Can I sit in on the lesson? (At Vocalogy, parents are welcome to.)
When to see a doctor first
Vocal coaching is voice training, not medical care. The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne says to see your GP if a child’s hoarse voice is getting worse or not getting better, or if you’re concerned about your child’s voice for any reason. If he’s hoarse or something hurts, please don’t let him sing through it until he’s been checked. If you’re unsure whether you need a voice coach or a speech therapist, this guide to choosing between them will help.
The bottom line
A changing voice isn’t a reason to stop singing, and it isn’t a reason to rush into lessons either. Lessons during the change are about keeping him singing comfortably and confidently, not about perfecting a voice that is still on the move. Choose a teacher who adjusts to his voice as it is now, and let him have a say in the decision.
Tell us his age, whether he has sung before, and what he’d like to work on, using our enquiry form: Vocalogy Voice Training for Singers & Professionals. We’ll suggest the right teacher and a first step. You can also see the teachers and fees on our 1:1 coaching page, or message us on WhatsApp.
Sources: KidsHealth, Music Teacher magazine, NAfME (Ryan Fisher, 2020) and the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, linked above.