During this heuristic phenomenological inquiry, we examined our lived experiences as five women (three doctoral students, two early career faculty) in the process of becoming music teacher educators participating in a year-long, online, group-facilitated professional development community (PDC). Data included recorded meetings via Skype, journal entries via a private Facebook blog, and written introductory and final reflection statements. The three core themes that emerged from the data were as follows: (a) self-doubt and fear of failure as researchers; (b) struggle to establish balance; and (c) the PDC as a safe place. The essence of our lived experience in the group was developing our identities as music teacher educators through interactions in our PDC, which was a safe place for us to discuss our thoughts, concerns, and insecurities. We offer
The purpose of this intrinsic case study was to learn about the perceptions of singing and participation in choir of the author’s eighth grade choir students. Specific areas of focus included insight on why the eighth grade boys sing and enjoy singing, perceptions of singing in a daily choir class, and perceptions of singing in an auditioned after-school choir. Primary data collection techniques included one formal group interview with the five boys, informal field notes, concert programs, difficulty level of choral music, and the author’s personal insights and observations as the boys’ choir teacher and participant observer. Four primary themes emerged: singing, other people, Choralier Men, and silliness. This study cannot be generalized to the general population of eighth grade boys or middle school choir. However, other middle school choral teachers may recognize similarities between the author’s teaching practices and their own, and benefit from consideration of these findings.
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate the experience of female voice change from the perspective of female middle and high school choral students. The study was guided by two questions: How do adolescent female choir students experience voice change? What is the essence of the experience of voice change for middle school and high school females in choir? "Co-researchers" included two students in Grades 6 through 12 (14 students total) at the Durham School of the Arts in Durham, North Carolina; the female singers demonstrated a variety of voice change characteristics, from vocal breathiness to limited vocal range. Data collected in November, January, and April included written responses to an open set of questions that were discussed thoroughly during a corresponding interview. Analysis revealed three core themes: (a) Phonation Experiences, (b) Emotional Experiences, and (c) Contexts of Singing. The essence of the experience of female voice change was that vulnerability and fear of embarrassment determined all use of the females' singing voices, resulting in risk assessment for each singing situation and setting.
The purpose of our phenomenology was to investigate the lived experiences of emerging female vocal identity development (ages 19–35 years) and how participants’ lived experiences shaped their future as musicians and music educators. Thirty-nine participants, freshmen through graduate students, enrolled in vocal music education or vocal performance programs within two large universities in the United States completed written responses to an open set of questions that were then discussed during a corresponding in-depth interview. Our analysis revealed four themes: (a) others as powerful influences, (b) voice classification, (c) omnipresent emotion, and (d) perceptions of future involvement. Time underwrote each theme as participants shared lived experiences that took place from age 11 into their 20s and some into the mid-30s. Therefore, consideration of chronological age within each of the themes provided deeper insight on the evolution of female vocal identity development. We found that intrapersonal and interpersonal interactions, both past and present, fostered emotional responses that influenced female vocalists’ perceptions of their voice. These, in combination with encounters with voice classifications and tensions between vocal and choral teachers, influenced their ever-evolving relationship with their instrument. In addition, participants actively used lived experiences to build futures for themselves and their vocal students.
The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how undergraduate- and graduate-level choristers perceived the influence of adolescent female voice change on their singing experiences since the age of 11 years old. Data included individual and focus group interviews with 17 female collegiate choral singers enrolled in one of two women’s choirs at a large midwestern university. Three overarching themes emerged: perceptions of vocal development, teacher influence, and emotion. Findings revealed that participants’ perceptions of singing experiences since age 11 largely revolved around vocal challenges, fear, and insecurity and have remained mostly negative even after the passing of time. Experiences in choir were not necessarily positive, and participants perceived their individual vocal needs as secondary to the needs of the larger choral ensemble. Out of fear of hurting the larger choir, participants remained passive and did not self-advocate, resulting in additional challenges with self-confidence and struggles pertaining to singer identity development during adolescence and into adulthood.
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