Choral experts, namely conductors and textbook authors, have long recommended separating middle and junior high school singers into all-male and all-female choirs to address the unique challenges facing young adolescents and those who teach them. However, limited research-based evidence exists on the decisions conductors and choral music educators have made on how to form their same-sex ensembles and the considerations involved in doing so. The purpose of this literature review is to provide conductors and choral music educators with an overview of what has been learned in support of configuring same-sex choral ensembles for middle and junior high school singers. Relevant studies include vocal skills development, participation and retention, gender differences, and schooling contexts. This information may be immediately useful to practicing choral music educators as well as provide motivation for further research-based inquiry on related topics in hopes of assisting all choral music educators to better prepare and educate young choral musicians.

Adcock, E. ( 1987). The changing voice: Middle/junior high challenge. Choral Journal, 28(3), 9-11.
Google Scholar
Asmus, W.P. ( 1986). Student beliefs about the causes of success and failure in music: A study of achievement motivation. Journal of Research in Music Education, 34, 262-278.
Google Scholar | SAGE Journals | ISI
Barham, T.J. ( 2001). Strategies for teaching junior high and middle school male singers: Master teachers speak. Santa Barbara, CA : Santa Barbara Music.
Google Scholar
Castelli, P.A. ( 1986). Attitudes of vocal music educators and public secondary school students on selected factors which influence a decline in male enrollment occurring between elementary and secondary public school vocal music programs . Dissertation Abstracts International, 47(6), 2069A.
Google Scholar
Colley, A. , Comber, C. , & Hargreaves, D.J. (1994). Gender effects in school subject preferences: A research note. Educational Studies , 20(1), 13-18.
Google Scholar | Crossref | ISI
Colley, A. , Comber, C. , & Hargreaves, D.J. (1997). IT and music education: What happens to boys and girls in coeducational and single sex schools? British Journal of Music Education, 14, 119-127.
Google Scholar | Crossref
Collins, D.L. ( 1982). The cambiata concept: More than just about changing voices . Choral Journal, 23(5), 5-9.
Google Scholar
Collins, D.L. ( 1999). Teaching choral music (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall .
Google Scholar
Cooksey, J.M. ( 1977a). The development of a continuing, eclectic theory for the training and cultivation of the junior high school male changing voice . Part I: Existing theories. Choral Journal, 18(2), 5-13.
Google Scholar
Cooksey, J.M. ( 1977b). The development of a continuing, eclectic theory for the training and cultivation of the junior high school male changing voice . Part II: Scientific and empirical findings. Choral Journal , 18(3), 5-16.
Google Scholar
Cooksey, J.M. ( 1977c). The development of a continuing, eclectic theory for the training and cultivation of the junior high school male changing voice. Part III: Developing an integrated approach to the care and training of the junior high school male changing voice. Choral Journal, 18(4), 5-15.
Google Scholar
Cooksey, J.M. ( 1977d). The development of a continuing, eclectic theory for the training and cultivation of the junior high school male changing voice . Part IV: Selecting music for the junior high school male changing voice. Choral Journal, 18(5), 5-18.
Google Scholar
Cooksey, J.M. ( 1992). Working with the adolescent voice. St. Louis, MO: Concordia.
Google Scholar
Cooksey, J.M. , & Welch, G.F. ( 1998). Adolescence, singing development and national curricula design. British Journal of Music Education, 15, 99-119.
Google Scholar | Crossref
Cooper, I. , & Kuersteiner, K. (1973). Teaching junior high school music (2nd ed.). Conway, AR: Cambiata Press.
Google Scholar
Darling, J. , & Glendinning, A. (1996). Gender matters in schools: Pupils and teachers. London, England: Cassell.
Google Scholar
Demorest, S.M. ( 2000). Encouraging male participation in chorus. Music Educators Journal, 86(4), 38-41.
Google Scholar | SAGE Journals
Freer, P.K. ( 2007). Between research and practice: How choral music loses boys in the ‘middle’. Music Educators Journal , 94(2), 28-34.
Google Scholar | SAGE Journals
Gackle, L. ( 1987). The effect of selected vocal techniques for breath management, resonation, and vowel unification on tone production in the junior high school female voice. Dissertation Abstracts International, 48(4), 0862A.
Google Scholar
Gackle, L. ( 1991). The adolescent female voice: Characteristics of change and stages of development. Choral Journal, 31(8), 17-25.
Google Scholar
Green, L. ( 1993). Music, gender and education: A report on some exploratory research. British Journal of Music Education, 10, 219-253.
Google Scholar | Crossref
Hamann, K.L. ( 2007). Influence on the curriculum choices of middle school choir teachers. Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, 26(1), 64-74.
Google Scholar | SAGE Journals
Hanley, B. ( 1998). Gender in secondary music education in British Columbia. British Journal of Music Education, 15, 51-69.
Google Scholar | Crossref
Hawkins, P.J. ( 2007). What boys and girls learn through song: A content analysis of gender traits and sex bias in two choral classroom textbooks. Research and Issues in Music Education, 5(1), 1-8.
Google Scholar
Hinckley, J. (Ed.). (1994). Music at the middle level: Building strong programs. Reston , VA: MENC.
Google Scholar
Jorgensen, N.S. , & Pfeiler, C. ( 2008). Successful single-sex offerings in the choral department . Music Educators Journal, 94(5), 36-40.
Google Scholar | SAGE Journals
Kennedy, M.A. ( 2002). "It’s cool because we like to sing": Junior high school boys’ experience of choral music as an elective. Research Studies in Music Education, 18, 26-37.
Google Scholar | SAGE Journals
Kennedy, M.A. ( 2004). "It’s a metamorphosis": Guiding the voice change at the American Boychoir School. Journal of Research in Music Education, 52, 264-280.
Google Scholar | SAGE Journals | ISI
Killian, J.N. ( 1997). Perceptions of the voice-change process: Male adult versus adolescent musicians and non-musicians. Journal of Research in Music Education, 47, 521-535.
Google Scholar | SAGE Journals | ISI
Killian, J.N. ( 1999). A description of vocal maturation among fifth- and sixth-grade boys. Journal of Research in Music Education, 47, 357-369.
Google Scholar | SAGE Journals | ISI
Klinedinst, R.E. ( 1989). The ability of selected factors to predict performance achievement and retention of fifth-grade instrumental music students. Dissertation Abstracts International, 50(12), 3881A.
Google Scholar
Kourajian, B.J. ( 1982). Non-participation of freshmen and senior boys in high school choirs. Missouri Journal of Research in Music Education , 5, 108-117.
Google Scholar
Koza, J.E. ( 1993/1994). Big boys don’t cry (or sing): Gender, misogyny, and homophobia in college choral methods texts. Quarterly Journal of Music Teaching and Learning, 4(4)-5(1), 48-64.
Google Scholar
Maidlow, S. ( 1998). The experiences, attitudes and expectations of music students from a feminist perspective. British Journal of Music Education, 15, 37-49.
Google Scholar | Crossref
Marple, H.D. ( 1975). Backgrounds and approaches to junior high music. Dubuque, IA: Wm. C. Brown.
Google Scholar
McKenzie, D. ( 1956). Training the boy’s changing voice. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
Google Scholar
Miller, K.E. ( 1988). Vocal music education: Teaching in the secondary school . Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Google Scholar
Perez, J. , & Ramsey, D.S. ( 1990). An investigation of variables related to the decision of selected sixth-grade male students to participate in seventh-grade choir . Paper presented at the Southern Division Convention of the MENC, Winston-Salem, NC.
Google Scholar
Phillips, K.H. ( 1988). Recruiting high school choristers. Choral Journal, 27(5), 25-27.
Google Scholar
Phillips, K.H. ( 1992). Research on the teaching of singing. In R. Colwell (Ed.), Handbook of research on music teaching and learning (pp. 568-576). New York, NY: Schirmer Books.
Google Scholar
Phillips, K.H. ( 1995). Recruiting and retaining males. Teaching Music, 2(6), 28-29.
Google Scholar
Roe, P.F. ( 1994). Choral music education (2nd ed.). Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press.
Google Scholar
Schmidt, C.P. ( 1995). Attributions of success, grade level, and gender as factors in choral students’ perceptions of teacher feedback. Journal of Research in Music Education, 43, 313-329.
Google Scholar | SAGE Journals | ISI
Siebenaler, D.J. ( 2006). Factors that predict participation in choral music for high-school students. Research and Issues in Music Education , 4(1), 1-8.
Google Scholar
Skoog, A. , & Niederbrach, D. (1983). The organization, development, and function of the female choir. Choral Journal, 24(1), 19-27.
Google Scholar
Stupple, C. ( 2007). The male changing voice: The student’s experience . Teaching Music, 15(1), 36-41.
Google Scholar
Swanson, F.J. ( 1977). The male changing voice ages eight to eighteen. Cedar Rapids, IA: Laurance Press.
Google Scholar
Swanson, F.J. ( 1984). Changing voices: Don’t leave out the boys. Music Educators Journal, 70, 447-450.
Google Scholar | SAGE Journals
Thurman, L. ( 1988). Voice health and choral singing: When voice classifications limit singing ability. Choral Journal, 23(10), 25-33.
Google Scholar
Wright, R. ( 2001). Gender and achievement in music education: The view from the classroom. British Journal of Music Education, 18, 275-291.
Google Scholar | Crossref
View access options

My Account

Welcome
You do not have access to this content.



Chinese Institutions / 中国用户

Click the button below for the full-text content

请点击以下获取该全文

Institutional Access

does not have access to this content.

Purchase Content

24 hours online access to download content

Your Access Options


Purchase

UPD-article-ppv for $36.00