'It's cool because we like to sing:' Junior High School Boys' Experience of Choral Music as an Elective

Abstract

This study examines the participation of junior high school boys in choral music. Informants were eleven males, three females, and the teacher of a twenty-seven member grade 8/9 class at a suburban school. Data collection techniques included interview, observation, participant observation, and the examination of material culture. Data analysis involved the preparation of field notes and interview transcripts, document analysis, and study of the field note/interview text. Triangulation was achieved through the cross-referencing of informant statements and researcher observations. Four major themes emerged: motivation to join and remain in the choir; acquisition of musical skills, knowledge, and attitudes; repertoire preferences; and perception of the choral experience. Factors motivating boys' membership in choir were love of singing, teacher influence, and peer influence. Boy choristers were musically skilled, knowledgeable and articulate. They had clear though varied repertoire preferences. Perceived benefits from choir membership are discussed according to musical, non-musical, social, and teacher aspects.hilip sits in the front row of the choir, hugging his 'Linus-blanket' jacket around his knees. He watches the dance rehearsal intently and then comes alive when directed, along with his classmates, to sing and perform the actions for the rock music medley. On another occasion, Robert, Bruce, and Ron, the inseparable trio, stand close together in the second row as they sing their part, totally absorbed in the music. Their faces betray a concentration not often seen in junior high school music classrooms. A third example finds eighth grader Matt sporting an oversized blazer, his 'costume' for the up-coming concert, as he 'grooves' to the music. Three ninth grade boys look on with smiling faces. It's an instance of fraternal friendship between students of different ages.The reader will identify the foregoing examples as emanating from a music classroom-a junior high school choral classroom to be exact. Although the class is fairly equally-divided between girls and boys, it is the boys who provide the focus for this study. Such an investigation is timely, as recruiting and retaining males in choral ensembles is becoming an increasing challenge for teachers (Adler

Adolescent Male Attitudes About Singing in Choir

“…The survey statement "I am in choir because it is fun" had the highest mean (3.14) of the nine items assessing this research question. These results support findings of Neill (1998), who found that among high school choir students, enrollment in chorus resulted from a love of singing; CallistroClements (2002), whose study indicated that a positive attitude toward music was a significant factor; Sichivitsa (2001), whose study of college choir students showed that students were interested in their college choir class for intrinsic reasons; and Kennedy (2002), who found that factors motivating junior high boys' membership in choir included a love of singing. The two lowest means for this research question were in relation to influences from family (1.88) and other adolescent males (1.95).…”

“…George (1993) states "the most heavily used positive descriptor of anything young adolescents experience, particularly in reference to school, is fun" (p. 21). Whether studying fifth-grade band students (Klinedinst, 1991), junior high choir students (Callistro-Clements, 2002;Kennedy, 2002), high school choir students (Neill, 1998), or college choir students (Sichivitsa, 2001), research shows that the major underlying reason why students sing and or participate in music classes is that they enjoy it. Miziner (1993) states that "greater enjoyment of singing through improved singing…”

“…The fact that typical adolescent behavior can frustrate even the best teacher makes the job of a junior high choir teacher extremely difficult at times (Williamson, 2000). Adolescent boys sometimes struggle with the difficulty of continuing to sing while dealing with a changing voice (Kennedy, 2002;Sandene, 1994) and perceived pressures from peers who may or may not believe participating in choir is "cool" (White & White, 2001, p. 40).…”

Hearing the Voices of Adolescent Boys in Choral Music: A Self-Story

“…Some examples of narratives of adolescent male singers have appeared in music education research journals (e.g. Kennedy, 2002), and they are helpful in providing a framework for continuing discussions. Largely missing from the conversation, however, are the voices of boys who are not participating in choral music at school.…”

Perspectives of European boys about their voice change and school choral singing: developing the possible selves of adolescent male singers

“…The studies were inspired by Kennedy's (2002) study of male choral singers in United States schools and followed a design suggested by Freer (2006) to include participants who currently sang, had previously sung, or who had never sung in choirs.…”