THE RHS CHOIR TRIP TO OHIO!!!

Every two years the RHS choir goes on a trip, and this year Wilhemina got to go as well!!!!  This year the trip was to Cleveland Ohio.  While in Cleveland Wilhemina got to go to Oberlin College, Ceder Point, the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame, a professional concert performance, and a Cleveland Indians game where the choir got to sing the national anthem!!  Originally Julianna was going to blog about this with us, and she had come up with a great idea that had especially interested Wilhimina, how the vocal chords work.  She noticed that they were used a lot by the choir because not only did we sing but we also talk A LOT! 

The vocal chords are located in the larynx.  The vocal chords are made of elastic connective tissue covered by folds of mucous membrane.  There are two pairs of vocal chords.  One pair is called the false vocal chords.  They extend from the epiglottis to the angle of the thyroid cartilage.  The job of these chords is to narrow the glottis during swallowing.  The next pair of vocal chords are called the true vocal chords.  They are below the false vocal chords and extend from the arytenoid cartilages to the angle of the thyroid cartilage.  With the help of the voice box  these chords create sound.  The true vocal chords are vibrated by air passing out of the lungs, that is then amplified by the voice box and boom you have sound!  Pitch is controlled by muscles that rotate they arytenid cartilages toward the center of the body for low tones, and toward the sides of the body for high tones.  This is very important for singers.  

so now next time you scream or sing or talk you know whats happening!!!