"Vocal study before age 20 is likely to be injurious, though some survive it in the hands of very careful and understanding teachers"

Alma Gluck warns against confusing early enthusiasm with early specialization. A young voice is still a changing instrument: the laryngeal tissues are maturing, the respiratory system is developing, and hormonal shifts alter timbre, range, and stamina well into the late teens and beyond. Pressing for power, extreme range, or operatic colors before the body is ready can hardwire tension, encourage compensatory habits, and, in worst cases, cause injury. The risk is not only physical; premature technical demands can narrow musical curiosity and breed anxiety around sound production that becomes difficult to undo later.

Her caveat, “some survive it”, doesn’t endorse precocity so much as it spotlights the rarity of teachers who know how to protect a growing instrument. Careful, understanding pedagogy for adolescents looks like light, brief sessions; age-appropriate repertoire in comfortable keys; an emphasis on ease, breath flow, diction, and musicality rather than volume or bravura; vigilant rest; and a readiness to stop when fatigue appears. It separates learning music from loading the voice: choir, solfège, piano, languages, and acting can flourish while the larynx catches up.

The warning applies across genders. Boys’ voice changes are obvious, yet girls’ voices also undergo subtler shifts through the late teens as cartilage stiffens and breath capacity expands. Psychological maturity matters too; the self-awareness to resist oversinging and the patience to prioritize long-term health usually arrive with age.

Modern pressures, competitions, school musicals, social media belting, can nudge young singers into adult repertoire and performance schedules. Gluck’s stance counters that urgency. A wise path lets the artist grow while the instrument grows: gentle technical fundamentals, rich musicianship, broad listening, and expressive play free of strain. When formal, intensive study begins closer to full physical maturity, technique can be built deep and flexible rather than brittle and loud. The voice is the body; like an athlete in development, it thrives on gradual load, careful coaching, and time. Early triumphs are not worth a shortened future. Patience expands possibilities.