![[PDF]](/pb-assets/Icons/adobe-pdf-icon-1498649896243.png){kind=icon}
Abstract
Boys seem to progress through phases in which they like to sing in early elementary school, they think that singing is for girls and, thus, unacceptable in late elementary school, and then, gradually, singing again becomes acceptable later in life. Studies speak to the difficulty that choir directors have in recruiting boys. Research shows that this may be because of the perception of singing as being feminine gendered. Many studies investigate this perception in older males, but few have investigated it in younger boys. This literature review explores the various reasons why males of all ages describe a negative perception of singing, focusing on younger boys. Suggestions for possible solutions are offered for practicing teachers in the field of vocal music.
References
Section:
|
Connell, R. W. (2000). The men and the boys. St. Leonards, New South Wales, Australia: Allen & Unwin. Google Scholar | |
|
Conway, C. (2000). Gender and musical instrument choice: A phenomenological investigation. Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, 146, 1–15. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40319030 Google Scholar | |
|
Demorest, S. M. (2000). Encouraging male participation in chorus. Music Educators Journal, 86(4), 38–41. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3399604 Google Scholar | |
|
Flowers, P. J., Dunne-Sousa, D. (1988, April). Pitch pattern accuracy, tonality, and vocal range in the singing of preschool children. Paper presented at the biennial meeting of the Music Educators National Conference, Indianapolis, IN. Google Scholar | |
|
Green, L. (1997). Music gender and education. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar | Crossref | |
|
Griswold, P. A., Chroback, D. A. (1981). Sex-role associations of musical instruments and occupations by gender and major. Journal of Research in Music Education, 26, 57–62. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3344680 Google Scholar | |
|
Hall, C. (2005). Gender and boys’ singing in early childhood. British Journal of Music Education, 22, 5–20. doi:10.1017/S0265051704005960 Google Scholar | Crossref | |
|
Hall, C. (2009). Without music I’d just be another kid: Boys and the choral experiences. In Harrison, S. (Ed.), Male voices: Stories of boys learning through making music (pp. 16–32). Camberwell, Victoria, Australia: ACER Press. Google Scholar | |
|
Harrison, S. D. (2007). A perennial problem in gendered participation in music: What’s happening to the boys?. British Journal of Music Education, 24, 267–280. doi:10.1017/S0265051707007577 Google Scholar | Crossref | |
|
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(18), 26–37. doi:10.1177/1321103X020180010401 Google Scholar | SAGE Journals | |
|
Kennedy, M. C. (2004). It’s a metamorphosis: Guiding the voice change at the American Boychoir School. Journal of Research in Music Education, 52, 264–280. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3345859 Google Scholar | |
|
Killian, J. (1999). A description of vocal maturation among fifth- and sixth-grade boys. Journal of Research in Music Education, 47, 357–369. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3345490 Google Scholar | |
|
Killian, J. N. (1997). Perceptions of the voice-change process: Male adult versus adolescent musicians and nonmusicians. Journal of Research in Music Education, 45, 521–535. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3345420 Google Scholar | |
|
Koza, J. E. (1993). The missing males and other gender issues in music education: Evidence from the Music Supervisors’ Journal, 1914-1924. Journal of Research in Music Education, 41, 212–232. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3345326 Google Scholar | |
|
Mizener, C. P. (1993). Attitudes of children toward singing and choir participation and assessed singing skill. Journal of Research in Music Education, 41, 233–245. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3345327 Google Scholar | |
|
Music Educators National Conference . (1994). The school music program: A new vision. Reston, VA: Author. Google Scholar | |
|
Phillips, K. H., Aitchison, R. E. (1999). Second-year results of a longitudinal study of the relationship of singing instruction, pitch accuracy, and gender to aural acuity, vocal achievement, musical knowledge, and attitude towards singing among general music students. Contributions to Music Education, 26(2), 67–85. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.proxy.lib.umich.edu/docview/1305384?accountid=14667 Google Scholar | |
|
Radtke, A. (1950). Positive attitudes toward singing for adolescent boys. Music Educators Journal, 36(3), 48. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3388617 Google Scholar | |
|
Rutkowski, J. (1997). The nature of children’s singing voices: Characteristics and assessment. Paper presented at the Sharing the Voices: The Phenomenon of Singing International Symposium, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada. Google Scholar | |
|
Rutkowski, J. (2000, July). The nature of children’s singing voices. Paper presented at the 24th ISME World Conference, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Google Scholar | |
|
Smith, R. (1973). Factors related to children’s in-tune singing abilities (Doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses database. (AAT 7411404) Google Scholar | |
|
Tibbetts, S. L. (1975). Sex-role stereotyping in the lower grades: Part of the solution. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 6, 255–261. doi:10.1016/0001-8791(75)90051-2 Google Scholar | Crossref | ISI | |
|
Welch, G. F., Sergeant, D. C., White, P. (1997). Age, sex and vocal task as factors in singing in-tune during the first years of schooling. Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, 133, 153–160. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40318855 Google Scholar |
