Encouraging boys to sing

[Oldcrofter]

A few random thoughts which some might like to consider, challenge or develop.

A crucial factor is developing self-confidence in singing, especially through the change of voice in puberty. The encouragement and approval of older boys at school and older men (music teachers, other male teachers, fathers) is essential to counter peer pressure not to sing.

They need role models - older boys who perform together in some context - on the school stage, in the gym (the acoustic can be very good) possibly with some movement, dance steps. Older boys who can be "singing buddies", teach them their part, stand with them in rehearsal.

Perhaps boys need to get together more before practices - eat and drink something (teens are always hungry), have a laugh, make friends across the age range - scouting has always developed friendships in that way.

The word "choir" for most boys brings to mind terms such as posh, snobby, church, girly, boring, opera, grannies, dressing up - i.e. it is the opposite of their youthful masculinity. However, we know that boys who do sing in choirs love it - but keep quiet about it.

On the whole, boys prefer strong voices, powerful performance, electric guitars, drums brass and technology (speakers, amps, keyboards). Many also like rap and street dance. The desire for peer approval and appreciation is powerful. So similarly, the repertoire for teenagers should have elements which their peers (both girls and boys) both approve of and appreciate, but which is based on good quality singing which develops young male voices.

Here are three examples of a boys' choir (Affies from S,Africa) who, in my opinion, perform with enthusiasm and enjoyment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnFkzN9oE7M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaSUhKGjhgU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v33HdzBh3sU This one is obviously very much based in the culture of South Africa - it's not meant to be a model to copy, but what equivalents might we find in Britain ?

I'd love to find similar examples on YouTube of British boys' choirs - anyone spotted any ?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The word "choir" for most boys brings to mind terms such as posh, snobby, church, girly, boring, opera, grannies, dressing up - i.e. it is the opposite of their youthful masculinity. However, we know that boys who do sing in choirs love it - but keep quiet about it.

All very true. I always had boys only and girls only junior choirs when teaching in secondary schools, mixing them for the senior choir (at which point a great deal of diplomatic persuasion was needed).

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

All very true. I always had boys only and girls only junior choirs when teaching in secondary schools, mixing them for the senior choir (at which point a great deal of diplomatic persuasion was needed).

Really? I found that the best way to get post-pubescent boys into a choir was to ensure that there was a good number of slightly older girls involved.

[jean]

Maybe it was the girls that needed persuading. Slightly younger boys aren't usually a great draw...

[ardcarp]

The desire for peer approval and appreciation is powerful.

That is true, so you must have a critical mass of boys singing so that it is not seen as abnormal.

On the whole, boys prefer strong voices, powerful performance, electric guitars, drums brass and technology (speakers, amps, keyboards). Many also like rap and street dance. The desire for peer approval and appreciation is powerful. So similarly, the repertoire for teenagers should have elements which their peers (both girls and boys) both approve of and appreciate, but which is based on good quality singing which develops young male voices.

That, on the other hand is dumbing down, and IMO should be avoided at all costs!

To run a youth choir of any sort does need a lot of social (non-vocal) activity...e.g. football, trips, swimming, feasts, etc. in order to boost and maintain the esprit de choir.

[Oldcrofter]

I'm not suggesting that boys singing should involve rap, street dance, guitars etc. Certainly not "dumbing down". I was trying to think of what elements do appeal to young men and of those, what in terms of singing would most appeal.

I think that some of those elements - strong, powerful singing, of good quality gains the interest and appreciation of their peers. It may involve some movement - as in two of the examples from YouTube.

Absolutely agree about activities together - I mentioned the eats & drinks before rehearsal because I remember that in one boys' choir, they started turning up early for choir because there was something to eat and drink, there were tables & chairs available - a simple sociable activity which took precious little organisation - biscuits, soft drinks etc.

Trips, swimming, bowling now and again - excellent.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Maybe it was the girls that needed persuading. Slightly younger boys aren't usually a great draw...

For some reason/s, the "slightly older girls" didn't need anything like the same amount of persuasion - they were quite happy to be involved in the choir for the sheer pleasure of singing.

As an ex-teenage boy, I would also point out that there is the additional self-consciousness-arousing problem of having your voice break. What was once a lovely feeling and sound, suddenly (and for what seems like a long time) becomes a "braying" that gets others staring and sniggering at you.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

. . . plus, tenors and basses only get the tune once in a while. It's the same with altos, of course, but it could be argued that they are the more musical of female singers.


(running for cover)

[terratogen]

Surely ardcap's (and others') suggestion of knitting social activities into the fabric of choir life is important; indeed, creating choral programs that are more than choral programs—where children can come for social time, for snacks, for homework help, for games/outings—has proved effective in encouraging singing in otherwise underserved communities. It's a less dire "whole-child" analogue of the community school movement, perhaps. (Though, to my amusement, one of our younger choristers did recently—respectfully—explain his absence from monthly pizza nights by saying that he "comes to choir to sing, not to eat pizza"!)

I can't help but feel, though, that discussions on children's singing (and especially boys' singing) tend to recommend palliative rather than preventative measures: we seem to take as natural fact that boys will not happily sing with girls and to proceed on that basis to advocate for musical spaces where boys won't need to worry about the proximity of their female peers. The bigger question—and the far bigger project—is to ask why boys won't sing with girls—if that is indeed the case—and to address the lessons that boys receive that would make proximity to girls disagreeable, frightening, polluting, et cetera. That, to me, is the way to ensure that boys will continue to sing... though the project extends far beyond the DoM!

[DracoM]

IME. the ages of the boys and girls is critical as upthread indicated.

It's the boy on the edge of and going through the voice change where the incentive to stay singing needs to be at its most subtle. In an all boys ensemble, actually, and maybe weirdly, that can be less of a problem. But as soon as you add girls into the adolescent boy mix at that time of a kid's development, boys become understandably a tad reluctant to squeak in public

Plans to get round that?

One DOM I knew said to such boys: 'look, just sing what you feel confident in singing. You are a good reader, and when you breathe to sing, actually others round you know you're good and they'll take a hint from your expertise even if you make no noise at all! Just hang in there.'

In a big chorus, you could handle that variability, but in a church / chapel choir..........???? Hmm.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Surely ardcap's (and others') suggestion of knitting social activities into the fabric of choir life is important; indeed, creating choral programs that are more than choral programs—where children can come for social time, for snacks, for homework help, for games/outings—has proved effective in encouraging singing in otherwise underserved communities. It's a less dire "whole-child" analogue of the community school movement, perhaps. (Though, to my amusement, one of our younger choristers did recently—respectfully—explain his absence from monthly pizza nights by saying that he "comes to choir to sing, not to eat pizza"!)

When my son was in a high profile church choir (all-male), they went on choir holidays twice a year, one of which involved singing in a cathedral - on one such occasion, he sang in Westminster Abbey, and they were taken to a Prom concert too.

[terratogen]

But as soon as you add girls into the adolescent boy mix at that time of a kid's development, boys become understandably a tad reluctant to squeak in public

Some of this, as I think you've alluded to, is on the DoM, who has the responsibility to the boys under his or her instruction not to abide their intimidation, especially where bodily things are concerned. Should any adult with a measure of authority allow a boy to be laughed at (by a boy or by a girl) for his weight, his skin, his speech, his hair? No. The same should go for voice-squeaking. Some might see this as a wrapping in cotton-wool; I don't, and if that makes me soft, I'm all right with it.

Some of it—I'm going to sound like a broken record—extends well beyond the choir and into the schools and families. Creating an understanding that voice change is natural, temporary, and reflective of no quality of a young person's character (for heterosexual boys, at least, "coolness" to other boys and desirability to girls, which I think is the elephant in the embarrassment discussions) are crucial.

I believe Martin Ashley does some work around the discourse on singing boys' "broken and breaking" voices and how to teach about vocal change in non-deficit ways, but I'd need to wade back into the databases to see if this is theoretical or empirical work, and whether it's borne fruit.

[jean]

I can't help but feel, though, that discussions on children's singing (and especially boys' singing) tend to recommend palliative rather than preventative measures: we seem to take as natural fact that boys will not happily sing with girls and to proceed on that basis to advocate for musical spaces where boys won't need to worry about the proximity of their female peers. The bigger question—and the far bigger project is to ask why boys won't sing with girls—if that is indeed the case—and to address the lessons that boys receive that would make proximity to girls disagreeable, frightening, polluting, et cetera. That, to me, is the way to ensure that boys will continue to sing... though the project extends far beyond the DoM!

Very well put.

[Oldcrofter]

Here's a boys' choir (Warwickshire County Boys' Choir) that in my opinion is an excellent example of what can be achieved with boys from a variety of social backgrounds by a very talented musical director, Garry Jones whose original motivation, I believe, was the difficulty of recruiting boys for church (or cathedral ?) choirs.

Does anyone know if Garry Jones has written about his approach to creating & developing boys' choirs ? I'm sure it would make very interesting reading.

http://www.choristers.org/video/firefly-warwickshire-county-boys-choir

[Keraulophone]

Dr Edward Wickham, director of St Catharine's Girls' Choir and Fellow and Director of Studies in Music at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, has written an article published in yesterday's Guardian:

'Girls on top: how the male-dominated English church choir is changing.'

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jul/05/girls-choirs-male-dominated-english-tradition-boys-changing

All at Truro have been thrilled by the contribution made by our 13-17 y.o. girls during their first full year of singing as a separate choir of girl choristers. The boys continue to do well what they have always done, but now with more free time every other Sunday.