For info regarding the female changing voice one of the leading authorities is Lynn Gackle. I believe she did her dissertation on the topic. Ken Phillips overviews the topic in his book Teaching Kids to Sing and cites Gackle if I remember correctly. There are other sources but these two are a good place to start. You can also do a search in the Choral Journal, which has covered the topic recently (in the past 18 months I believe). I think Gackle may have written the article.

Best of luck,

Kyle Chandler

Choral Music Education

Washington State University

Check "Bodymind and Voice" published by The VoiceCare Network  (http://www.voicecarenetwork.org/courseinfo.cfm?ID=4). There is an article by Lynn Gackle on this topic.

Antonis graciously suggested reading a chapter on female changing voices by Lynne Gackle in a book titled Bodymind and Voice: Foundations of Voice Education.  Lynne has two chapters in B&V, actually.  Orientation: B&V is organized into five sections called Books I, II, and so on.  Each Book addresses larger relevant bodies of knowledge with cross-references.  It was reviewed very favorably in Choral Journal, Journal of Singing, Canadian Music Educator, and Australian Voice, and has been adopted as main text in choral methods, vocal pedagogy, and music education methods courses in Canada (e.g., Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's), Europe (e.g., Institute of Education, University of London), Australia (e.g., Queensland Conservatorium of Griffiths University, Brisbane), and the United States (e.g., Eastman School of Music, Ohio State University, Ohio University, Saint John's University (MN), Concordia College (MN), Appalachian State University, University of Mississippi, University of Alabama, Central Arkansas University).

 

Book IV is titled, Lifespan Voice Development and it presents science-based evidence for the anatomical and functional development of voices over the lifespan, from prenatal to older adulthood. For example, John Cooksey's chapter is "Voice Transformation in Male Adolescents," and Lynne's Book IV chapter is titled, "Understanding Voice Transformation in Female Adolescents." 

 

Book V is titled "A Brief Menu of Voice Education Methods," and it presents the practical uses or applications of evidence-based knowledge from the previous Books.  Lynne's Book V chapter is titled, "Female Adolescent Transforming Voices: Voice Classification, Voice Skill Development, and Music Literature Selection."  

 

Table of contents and other info is available at  www.voicecarenetwork.org/ProductDetail.cfm?ID=1

 

Leon Thurman

Principal Author and Co-Editor (with Graham Welch, Ph.D., Institute of Education, London)