[Magdalen] Down and Up We Go.

[Cantor03 at aol.com]

I was watching some of yet another NCIS marathon (this one has been  on
USA Network all day).  I happened to catch in the opening credits the  name
"Marina Sirtis" who is the actress who played Counselor Diana Troi on
Star Trek TSG for so many years.  I realized that she was playing the  role
of the new head of the Israeli Security Mossad on the NCIS episode.
 
She is perfect for the part, being of Greek/English ancestry, but her  voice
has dropped a full octave from that of her Star Trek role.  I don't  think 
she
was faking this new low tibre.
 
I struck me that most of us have vocal changes as we age, and often
that is up or down in timbre.  The downs I've found are often  cigarette
smokers.  Nearly all the profound basso speaking voices I  encountered
at the VAMC were heavy smokers from the teens on.  They were  amusingly
proud of their deep voices, not realizing this was from cigarettes and  the
attendant dangers of throat cancer.
 
I wonder if Sirtis' vocal change is not due to the same problem?
 
For many men, the natural vocal change is to raise up the timbre of  the
voice.  I can sense the same thing in my own vocal range.
 
We can choose not to smoke, but we cannot stay alive and choose not
to get older!
 
 
David Strang.