- Written by a musically trained social scientist and professor of education.
- Attempt to address the issue of boys reluctance to sing
- Boys receive pressure from all directions on how to use their voice
- Choir directors; preserve high range
- Voice teachers; whatever is healthiest
- Peers; talk/sing like a man! (most influential)
- Often boys use their voice how they want to and not in the healthiest way for them
- What is the right answer?
- Some controversy about when the male voice “breaks” – is puberty starting to come earlier? (origin of the title)
- Studies show that the average male voice “changes” around 13-15 years of age – same as it’s been for a long time. (So to the above, no.)
- Some experts hold that singing techniques from 75 years ago have been lost – modern boy sopranos sing in a “chest voice” instead of “head voice”
- So really, no one knows
- The author’s 4 points of things that aren’t helping
- Useless speculation about earlier puberty
- Disputes between directors and teachers
- Disputes over proper technique
- Lack of position about falsetto
- Conclusion
- Boys who sing often lead a double life – singing is secret
- Need to understand the perception boys’ have of their world around the age of voice change
- Also…
- Why not study the changing male voice and develop or modify techniques for vocal training?
- Why not market or promote singing (specifically singing high) as “manly” or “masculine?”
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Technique or Testosterone
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Good observations. I know that girls can also be influenced by their peers, as singing high can be more 'feminine,' but girls that can sing low like to brag about it, as if it's their own superpower. Too bad singing well in itself can't be impressive enough, I don't see the need to view one range as more "socially acceptable" than the other. Silly peers.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting! This is totally true of male singers... but singing is totally manly! I liked your video too. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to hear the manly side of solo voice, it's not really something we women can understand, so this is super helpful!
ReplyDeleteI wish there wasn't a stigma about men that sing. Personally, I find it attractive when a guy can sing, no matter what the range they have. It is interesting that each part of the world thinks males should sing a certain way and that some try to manipulate their voice in order to "fit in" with what is wanted at the time. I wish men would just sing the way their voice is and embrace it!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting post! Male singers more secret than female, and more pressure.
ReplyDeleteThis is really helpful because I don't understand a whole lot about the male voice. I agree with Taylor about wishing there wasn't a stigma about male singers because I do think that it only harms male voices at an early age and can cause come boys to produce a false sound in order to be perceived in a certain way.
ReplyDeleteThere shouldn't be such a stigma about this. I think this is helpful in understanding what some guys go through, and the relation between what happens in schools as a result of singing. Everyone at my high school who sang and was on a sports team was found to be pretty legit.
ReplyDeleteI think this topic is really important and really difficult to deal with. Puberty is hard on everyone and especially to boy's voices. They change so much more dramatically than women's voices and I'm sure it's really hard to expose themselves (by singing during puberty). I feel like so many men turn away from singing at a young age because they are embarrassed to "crack" or they are unsure where their voice sits from day to day. I don't know how to fix the issue, but I wish it could be different.
ReplyDeleteKindness and encouragement to keep doing something they love during a hard time, and acknowledging that it is tough and that it takes courage to do it can be the difference. Also, making sure that you meet them wherever things are working so they can feel successful. Looking forward to what all their hard work and patience will bring after getting through it is also a good way to approach it. But it is TOUGH. Kids as little as 5 get made fun of for singing for some ridiculous reason. You would think with the celebrity/famous status of pop singers, this wouldn't be the case, but there's a sort of other dimension where "normal" people are silly if they sing. My son was made fun of when he was only in kindergarten, and completely stopped singing. I told him that I would be devastated if he stopped singing, and that I hoped he would at least sing for his own happiness and enjoyment, and slowly he started to again. I am sure I'll have to deal with this again....and he knows what I do and loves coming to see all of you sing! And it's STILL tough! Hang in there, help students, be their biggest supporters. Even at home they may not be supported. I hear from students ALL THE TIME who had little to zero support from their own family. Take a moment to thank those who supported you through those harder times!! :-)
ReplyDeleteHave I ever mentioned that I sang "Bass" for about 2 or three years ? The answer is yes you've said it a million times, you're a TENOR you need to accept it. That aside, I dealt with plenty of that pressure when I was in school. Even the church choirs I was a part of were extremely lacking in the lower range. So, when my voice began to change, my choir directors were thrilled to have someone who could sing that lower vocal part for them.
ReplyDeleteMegan - I remember having a similar story when I was growing up. I know a lot of my peers were very anti-singing. It wasn't "cool" to sing. Luckily, I had several good musical role models from a younger age (a general music teacher, and choral director from my church) who always encouraged me to continue singing for as long as I enjoyed it. Here I am, today, still loving it, and so happy I didn't stop! =)
My dad loved to sing, and he was darn good at it too. In fact, most of the men from my dad's side of the family are very musical and into singing-related activities, so I was lucky to have such a good example to follow. Singing can be such a positive act of self-expression that I think anyone can benefit from it regardless of their technical level, so it's sad that society and media-enforced gender roles limit male artistic expression. I've believed for a long time that breaking down established gender roles will be a good thing for all people.
ReplyDeleteThis was super informative, as a woman I have noticed there are always more women in choirs than guys. Singing is definitely manly, look at some the great heroes (and villains) of opera that are hyper masculine, sometimes to a fault!
ReplyDeleteAh yes, the good ol' issue of manliness vs singing. *sigh* I certainly wish society would see the light soon and realize how manly singing can be. -_-
ReplyDeletePretty significant. I grew up singing in church where there were no other guys/negative pressure to sing low. As a result, I'm a baritone.
ReplyDelete