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Your thoughts on Middle School Boys?Date: September 2, 2012 by J. Young  Views: 2739
I see a lot of you asking questions about what to do with certain boys.
I have always wondered why educators in the Middle School do not let boys sing Treble, after all, that's what they are.
From my experience teaching several 13 - 15 year olds each year, some of the boys that feel they can not sing the top line anymore really just want to
sing a different part. They may be just on the cusp of voice-change. But, there are plenty of 12 - 14 year olds that have NOT gone
through voice-change yet and are powerhouse trebles.
I would like to hear your thoughts on why, as an educator, you would place these boys in an alto section (for those of you choosing SATB choirs).
I would also like to hear, if you can, how the boys feel about being placed in those upper parts.
I'm not trying to step on any toes, but maybe that's what we need? I understand most college education programs do not cover the boys
changing-voice. And, I'm almost convinced that we truly need gender-segregated choirs until a few years after voice change (Senior year?).
If we're not careful, we just might end up with all SSA choirs.
Replies (15): Threaded | Chronological
Kitty Babcock on September 3, 2012 8:43am
What you are saying is very true indeed. What I did with my young men was to create a segregated choir but also an SATB choir. The boys sang carefully chosen TTBB pieces and were singing at an alto and soprano range for the unchanged and a higher and lower baritone for the changing voices.
We had practices on Saturday morning and they all came. As I am female, I felt they needed a male voice to pattern and so my friend came to those practices. We worked hard for at least an hour and a half on tone matching, finding their voices and working those skills into the songs.
Then my friend who is also a basketball enthusiast, played basketball with them for an hour. Then, I fed them donuts and sent them home.
They focused on the basketball and the fun food and I on the sound. It worked a charm. They brought those skills to the SATB choir and felt very confident especially with the ladies present. I asked the ladies if they wanted a similar practice to what the boys were doing but they were quite happy with lunch time with the guys combined.
Both choirs won competitions and continued for the next year as well. Then they moved me to another school and the young people moved to high school.
It was worth the extra effort to see the confidence and pleasure all choir members exhibited.
Kitty
Applauded by an audience of 2
on September 3, 2012 10:13am
Perhaps it is as simple as re-identifying the parts. Maybe calling them lead, harmony I, Harmony II Harmony II and changing the octave when necessary. Altos might sing the bass part an octave higher. Switching around would make better music readers outof the students, make them more versatile and flexible and take the gender out of Soprano and Alto, tenor and bass.
Another thought....I have taught middle school boys and find that during the time their voices are changing, they can't perceive their own voice...they don't hear in the new lower levels, and somehow lose the ability to hear in the higher voices as well. Many times they become frustrated and adopt the "I can't sing" mantra. Just be careful not to turn them off of singing.
Applauded by an audience of 2
on September 3, 2012 5:06pm
Wow, do I remember this. I am responding as one of those boys. I sang soprano into my freshman year of high school. With my current singers, I have sold it as an honor to be able to still sing high. I take the boys aside, explain to them that they are part of the select few who can still sing Soprano. Devious? I don't know. Effective with my singers? Absolutely. Doc Wilson
Applauded by an audience of 1
on September 3, 2012 6:58pm
I teach Junior High and in 7th grade, I have combined choirs - mainly SA. However - it is the COOLEST thing ever for boys to sing high! At least at my school it is ;) We talk about how voices change and that one day they won't have those beautiful high notes. We compare the difference in sound from a girl's voice and a boy soprano voice (wow are they different!) and we relish the high tones for as long as they have them. Many of the boys sing solos at concert in their true ranges and no one ever snickers because it is so awesome. In 8th grade, I have a boy's choir. This really seems to be the changing voice choir. I carefully select pieces that can be for changing and unchanged voices alike, or rearrange octaves as needed. This is a great time for a boy's choir because they are the main focus. We start off the year with 70% singing soprano and by the end of the year, about 30% are still singing soprano. The 9th grade year is mixed SATB, however, I move boys around a lot in this class. If I have sopranos (which I often do), I try and choose repertoire that works for their ranges. I don't place boys in the alto/soprano section. However, they sing very high tenor or octave above in tenor or bass so they can learn to read parts well. This helps them sing in the appropriate ranges (constant voice testing) but lets them be the "men's" section for ego sake.
I think that if we were constantly gender separated, the boys would have all of the fun and the girls would feel left out. Girls enjoy being in choirs with a great men's section. Let's face it, the men's repertoire is fun and energetic and lively - meant to recruit boys to our programs, but oftentimes the girl's repertoire is beautiful and poignant, but not as fun as the SATB options.
I love the variety of having both.
Lori
Applauded by an audience of 1
on December 14, 2012 6:14pm
I have the pleasure, and sometimes curse of being a choir teacher at an all boys school. Without going into the craziness of what that can mean on a given day, I'll suffice it to say, it has it's own unique set of challenges. Having built the current program from the ground up, there's been some amazing opportunities to watch the boys grow in a unique environement where I didn't have the "that's not how we used to do it" mentality. For a lot of my singers, they simply don't know that one way or another is done more often in mixed ensembles or other schools.
That being said, it took a lot of work for the boys to build the confidence and trust that is essential to the success of boys singing. I deal almost entirely with middle school boys and all the changes that they go through. It took a lot of work to eliminate the "he sounds like a girl" paradigm to shift. Having them listen to what a boys choir can sound like and having them see other boy groups perform can do wonders for not only giving your boys the confidence to sing, the competitiveness boys often need to stay motivated.
Having had the opportunity to work with great conductors like Andre Thomas, Henry Leck, Eph Ely and Rodney Eickenberger, I realize that I might have had the lions share when it comes to brains to pick about how to work with boy's voices. Henry Leck in particular is a fantastic resource for working with boys. I've also been an associate director with the Hawaii Youth Opera Chorus for a number of years now and we have been utilizing much of what I share here for at least the last 20 years with great success. (I can only say that because I first learned about when I sang for them in high school). As I finish my Master's degree this year in vocal performance, I've had the opportunity to do a great amount of research on boy's voices and the training of them. It's been my opinion that there is not a comprehensive resource for anyone working with boys to really draw on. There are some great books out there, and definintely some great teachers, but not a whole lot for the choir director who finds themselves without the training they would have hoped to have in this area.
Having said all that, here's a couple things that can help.
1. Try to be sensitive to labeling that could cause a questioning of their "manliness". "Soprano" and "alto" have a female connotation and while the ranges may be similar for boys whose voices have not changed, simply calling them a soprano or an alto can be an issue, especially in the US. Using terms like treble and cambiatta will help de-stigmafy the range the parts are written for and boys will be more apt to sing them.
2. Careful repertoire selection is important. Boys whose voice are changing have a unique set of challenges that are further compounded by the fact that each of the challenges are unique to each boy. No two boys are going to experience the exact same voice change. Some happen fast, some happen slow, some happen drastically, some happen over time, there's no one way a boy's voice will change. But it is important to note that boys at this age often struggle with singing unison. Chant or counterpoint melodies with limited ranges set by fourths or sixths are especially successful for this group of singers. Folk work songs from Africa and the southern US are great teaching tools for learning parts. The melodies are simple, the ranges very singeable. In no time you'll have a group of boys begging to sing.
3. Get to know each voice. This cannot be overstated. The better you know the voices you are working with, the better you'll be able to make repertoire selections. Don't be afraid to sing something in another key, or switch parts, even halfway through a line. I spend a great deal of time not only looking for music, but rewriting it so my boys can be successful. Boys will try hard to do well if they know you are working with them for their success.
4. Warm up from the top down. Boys are much more able to sing from their natural voices into their newly expanded range. Starting in their natural range, have them sing descending patterns into their new voice. I try to avoid using the tradition terms of head voice and chest voice because they experience these transitions differently than the adult singer. Giving them descriptions and examples that set them up for success encourage them to try harder.
5. Have good models. If you aren't a male yourself, or you are a guy and don't understand the working of the voice, it is often better to have someone who can demonstrate come in. Or better yet, use one of the boys whose already gone through a voice change to demonstrate. Your singers love being able to show how much they've improved and what they've learned. This is one area when keeping boys singing is so crucial.
6. Sing sing sing. The mentality that boys should stop singing when their voice change begins is outdated and wrong. Boys need to sing through the change so the muscles that are growing learn how to properly coordinate the newly expanded voice. This isn't a voice change, it's a voice expansion. Boys that continue to sing through their voice change not only are better able to manage their new voice, but they also keep most, if not all , of their higher range as well. Many of my 8th grade boys, even the ones who can't sing in their middle transition area, are able to sing a beautiful treble line and then turn around and hit the low notes as well. It's not uncommon for our warm ups and exercises to encompass three or four octaves as we stretch to begin a class. I challenge them to stretch as far up and down as they can. We often chart this as well so they can see how they are improving.
7. Most importantly, no matter what happens, remember to treat them with the respect that you would desire from them. Boys often get plenty of redirection and chewing out because their brains often don't work well with all the surges of testosterone they've got going on. But even when they need to be redirected and reprimanded for their behavior, they also need to be reminded that it is their behavior you disapprove of, not them as individuals. Don't assume they know that. Make a point to reaffirm them and encourage them. Building a choir is like building a sports team to them, it requires not only hard work, but the satisfaction of knowing they did a good job. In the end, trust is what makes a good choir great. If they are inspired by your relationship and passion, then it shows in the progress they make.
Not every concert is going to be amazing. Not every rehearsal is going to be productive. But every moment counts when they know that you are fighting for their success.
Hope that helps. I know it only scratches the surface really, but there's so many misunderstandings when it comes to working with boys choirs and boys in choirs. I look forward to the days when all music educators are at least somewhat aware of the unique challenges of dealing with a boy's changing voice.
Best wishes to you,
Chad
Applauded by an audience of 1
on December 14, 2012 9:38pm
Chad: "This isn't a voice change, it's a voice expansion." Now THAT should be up on the wall in every rehearsal room where changing voices--pardon me, EXPANDING voices--spend time singing!!
And I agree completely about terminology. "Treble" can denote any pre-change voice, and you might point out that the "treble clef" was introduced in the 15th century exactly BECAUSE that's when boys started being added to church choirs, and that was THEIR clef! "Countertenor" is also a good substitute for "alto."
Great advice, every one of your points. Both of our sons kept their head voices functioning as they started expanding into the lower range (although not all can, and some have to rediscover it later), and one of them is now a professional countertenor.
All the best,
John
Applauded by an audience of 1
on December 15, 2012 9:15am
Unless we can figure out ways to get more than one or two boys to come out for choir, we'll end up with SSA anyway, or a tenor playing drums or tambourine. But in my own experience, boys with unchanged voices were perfectly happy to sing soprano, because at that point soprano is what they are. What sort of "educator" would force them to sing tenor? The sort that forced lefties to write right-handed?
on December 16, 2012 5:19am
I'll never use the term Cambiata. Maybe it's because I put more stock in European research, or perhaps its because I see too many people who know better latch onto this thing because it's available. I fully understand some of us don't have time to find new works. Some of us don't have time to do anything new. But, I see that as the easy route out, and a detriment to the singing boy. I will never use the term Cambiata because I see it as fundamentally wrong. I sing in a cathedral choir of Men and Boys. I teach voice to the older middle school age kids. The 14 year old that sings beside me every week is a fantastic countertenor. Now, perhaps he'll stay, and perhaps he'll become a bass. The point is, his range lies outside of anything that Cambiata would place him in. I'll never go down that road.
I too agree with you, Chad, that there are plenty of Misunderstandings when it comes to boys. I'll never figure out why Americans think they have to re-invent the wheel. Boys have been singing in Europe for at least the last thousand years, and probably longer. Yet, just like everything else, this little country that's not even 300 years old thinks it knows best.
Greg: What sort of "educator" would force a boy to sing a low part? This sort of "education" has been and is still going on now. Ask the music educator graduates from any college what they know about boys singing, and you'll get your answer. It's not the fault of the person, it's the fault of the system. I'm trying hard to change that, but I'm only one person, and can only do so much to change a societal paradigm.
My goal in the next few years is to start a choir school where I live. That way, at least those few boys might get the chance at a proper education...
on December 16, 2012 10:44am
Hi, "J," and thanks for your thoughts. (And since you're a countertenor I wonder whether you know my son, Ian Howell?)
It isn't quite clear why you don't like the word "cambiata," which after all simply means something in the process of changing. It isn't a defined range, and it isn't a defined voice type. It's simply descriptive of a process that many middle school boys do in fact go through, which means that it's a USEFUL description. In my late wife's youth choir some boys sank at a measurable rate of about a halfstep a week, others went through a brief "break" but recovered soon, some (like both our sons) kept usable head voices, while a very few crashed and burned and could not sing for several years thereafter. Every voice is different.
Regarding the European experience, yes, boys have been singing for a very long time. (Witness Guido d'Arezzo, who wrote that it took him 10 years to teach his boys all the chants they needed to learn by ear, in the early 11th century, and whose "gamut" of notes included all those he found in chant in both men's and boys' ranges.) But it was not until the 15th century that "the choir" started sining in parts (previously reserved to soloists), and that boys were actually incorporated into choirs, necessitating the invention of the new "treble" G clef for their parts.
And I'm afraid that asking boy trebles to sing low just because they're boys is NOT a systemic problem, and is NOT taught in music education classes, and it definitely IS the fault of the indivdiual teacher. We had one such in our school system, and were very glad to see her retire.
Best of luck in starting your choir school. We need more of them, led by people who care as you do.
All the best,
John
on December 17, 2012 4:46am
Perhaps you are right, John. However at least right now, the current students of music education going into teaching that I have been able to observe do not know anything about how to teach choir. Since I have a passion for boys singing, I do my best to slowly bring them around to at lest be open to the idea that it's ok if boys sing treble too. I, like you, have seen my share of teachers that hold old views with the one you mentioned. But the failing of the system I spoke of comes from my current experience with the knowledge that is handed down (or lack of). There are very few graduating students that I would feel comfertable with when sending any of my boys.
Regarding "cambiata" and the associated research, that's a topic I think best not discussed here. It's rather long.
Also John, I do know of your son and he is a fine Countertenor!
JRY
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on December 17, 2012 11:05am
I can't argue with what you've observed, J; just comment that what I've observed is a bit different.
I don't know whether the way we handle our music education students is typical or atypical. We have a weekly Lab Ensemble that meets under the guidance of our music ed and conducting faculty, and includes BOTH instrumental and vocal music education majors. (Entirely too many actual jobs are not restricted to one or the other, so we feel that they all need experience in both vocal and instrumental techniques and conducting!) Instrumentalists often play the secondary instruments they are studying in methods classes (which puts them at about middle school level in technique, although not as musicians!). And all instrumentalists must sing.
And the good thing is that ALL our music ed students get podium time (after their first semester) for warmups, rehearsals, and so on, and are immediately critiqued by the faculty. So part of the thinking is that the voice majors WILL know more about the voice, and will demonstrate it in ways that allow the instrumental majors to pick it up, and vice versa. Perhaps not ideal, considering the course load they carry because of state and national requirements, but a LOT better than nothing.
But I'll certainly agree that the one thing we can NOT duplicate is the changing voice (neither boys nor girls, because of course both go through a change). And while they may study and talk about it, their only hands-on experience comes during their student teaching semester (which now takes place at the Masters level), under the eyes of experienced supervising teachers. And of course some will be asigned to middle schools, but others to elementary or high school for student teaching.
Still, I can't imagine that ANY of our potential choir directors are clueless about the challenges of the middle school voice, even though they may not be "experts." THAT comes under the heading of "learn by doing," but of course so is ALL teaching!!
All the best,
John
Applauded by an audience of 1
on December 19, 2012 10:37am
Hello J and John and thank you both for your thoughts.
First off, let me commend you John, I believe you are at Virginia tech right? More music programs should be utilizing this kind of "full teacher" mentality. It would be oh so helpful. I can't tell you how many students teachers I've observed, critiqued and some of them mentored who had absolutely no knowledge of working with a group of voices. Instrumentalist, while wonderful musicians tend to be clueless when it comes to working with a voice and vocalist, especially those who come out of a choir background, are often focused on getting singers to sing like them, which is not always a good thing. It would just make sense to me, when music ed student have so many "methods" classes, that there isn't one specifically for voice, or voice development. It's one of the only instruments that I can think of that changes so drastically in the course of one's use.
J- As there are often so many mis-conceptions about things, let me clarify my reference to "Cambiata". While it has taken a few different forms today, even so much as some teachers and composers going so far as to define it as a specific voice with it's own range and what not. If you look at Irvin Cooper's work, the man who coined the term for boy's voices to begin with, you'll see that he simply identifies it as a point of change. A boy who no longer is able to sing like the treble that he was, but has not fully "dropped" as it were to bari-tenor territory is simply in transition. The term comes from the counterpoint reference where a melody simply changes. Anyone who trys to define a cambiata voice as having a specific range or even calling it a voice type to be used like soprano or tenor, does not understand the concept behind the term. (at least as it was originally intended) You may choose to not use it in your teaching, or even in your vocabulary with your singers, but some of your singers may find the concept something they can identify with. You may have a boy who sings treble for one song, and then countertenor for another. Maybe even soprano for one line, alto for another. It's important that we differentiate between what a composer may label as a voice type and what we as the director want them to sing. I may have a boy who can sing in the range of a soprano, but I will still refer to him as a treble. I have other boys who can sing treble and switch to a tenor line if I need it. I'm not going to say he is one or the other, I am simply going to ask him to sing where we need him if he has the range. I always talk to my boys in terms of their range and what they are comfortable singing. I never tell them "ok Jimmy, you are definitely a tenor, so you always sing the tenor line." I think to often we get caught up in labeling and miss the point. A singer should be able to sing whatever part is needed, regardless of what the composer chooses to label it. Sure there are ranges where some voices fit better, but the ranges that are usually defined are most often for adult voices. Every piece of music is different and if we limit our singers, or ourselves, to only thinking in terms of four parts, how much musicality is lost in the process? Boys voices are changing, so why not go with the change and teach them to sing whatever part they can regardless of who "should" be singing it. I think you'll find that boys will respond better because you are setting them up for success. More importantly, when they leave you, they'll be more open to singing whatever they come across without being defined by a specific label. After all, are we not ultimately trying to create an inspired musician? Not just someone who can sing?
This is precisely why I think a resource of this kind should be created, so we can answer some of these questions and clear the air of some of the mis-conceptions.
J-I'd love to hear more about where you teach and some of the practices you use with your boys. I'm fascinated by the European model of boy voice education and would love to dialogue with you about it. How can I contact you directly?
on December 18, 2012 11:07am
I'm curious to know if many (any) middle school directors have used barbershop music with this age group? Even in a mixed ensemble situation, a barbershop arrangement would allow boy & girl sopranos to sing the upper harmony part (tenor) with those developing a mixed voice to sing the melody line (lead) while lower voiced singers divide into the lower harmony parts (baritone & bass). Arrangements specifically for higher tessituras are available through Sweet Adelines Young Women in Harmony publications as well as through the Barbershop Harmony Society.
I have had the pleasure of watching a number of young boys follow their dads into a barbershop chorus and then join their school choirs all without worry about singing soprano with the girls at school because they were brought up singing "tenor" in a barbershop chorus first.
Jennifer
on December 18, 2012 1:36pm
Jennifer: Thanks for bringing up the idea of barbershop quartet singing for middle school, and the possibility of mixing voices. I can't speak as a middle school teacher, but can speak from personal experience.
I started my barbershop quartet in junior high school (9th grade), because my dad seemed to be having so much fun singing in his. (And we went on to score higher than they had in the one competition we loved going to!!) And our tenor, even in 9th grade, still had an unchanged voice. He remained our tenor through 3 more years of high school and a year of college, before we parted ways because of philosophical differences, and kept his head voice working quite well even when his speaking voice dropped. And that quartet turned into a 20-year career in show business (no longer singing exclusively barbershop), including a full-ride college scholarship and 4 years as an entertainment unit in the U.S. Air Force Band.
And when some of the kids in my late wife's youth choir at church wanted to try singing as a group, we coached them in a barbershop piece with our older son singing tenor--again with an unchanged voice. And while he didn't continue as a quartet singer, he did go on to become a professional countertenor.
There would be absolutely no problem working a girl into such a quartet as a "tenor," or even as a lead given the right voice qualtiy. (But that would require a bari with the same vocal range, since those two parts cross continually.)
All the best,
John
Applauded by an audience of 1
on December 19, 2012 10:56am
Jennifer,
I agree with John, there is some great literature out there that many boys would definitely sink their teeth into. However, speaking as a teacher at an all boys school, barbershop stuff is usually best suited for boys who are a little older than middle school. This is one of those situations where it isn't so much an issue of voice change, but of maturity and intuitiveness. There's always exceptions and you can find some wonderful singers in middle school who would love to be a part of such a group. But the tight harmony and discipline that a babershop group represents comes from one thing that most middle school boys just have the hardest time with; focused listening.
We can teach boys to listen to a great extent in a choral setting, but the majority of boys, even those who find a passion for singing, need a little bit of time in their growing bodies to be able to focus with the intensity that is needed for barbershop and tight harmony groups. Not that it's not possible, it's just that much more work. It's very different singing in a group where there is more than a couple voices on each part than it is when you are solely responsible for a part yourself or with one other person. It's like asking the average boy to sit still for anything longer than a few minutes without being focused on something. Sure, it can happen, but how much pain and sweat are the two of you going to go through before he chooses to do it on his own? This is just my speaking from my experiences.
One other thing to note is that most barbershop music is composed with the assumption that boys, or men, are going to be comfortable singing in their upper natural ranges. The traditional choral idealogy coupled with American society give you some inherent stumbling blocks that you'll need to be aware of when it comes to convincing boys to sing in these ranges with confidence. Having them sing with girls can work for you or against you. If the boys can take pride, (maybe through a sense of competition) in singing with the girls in their range, you've got something that'll stick. But the moment boys feel like their manhood is threatened because they are being asked to do something that a girl can do much easier, or for the simple fact that most people associate that range with a girls, their excitement and drive to be a part of the project can take a huge beating. It's just one of those things that we need to be concious of if we want to set up our boys for success.
Great idea, just approach with care,
Chad
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