Freer- Male Changing Voices

MUSIC 23241: MUSIC TEACHING AS A PROFESSION
Mr. Marcus L. Neiman, Assistant Professor
Kent State University School of Music
Fall, 2011

CRN:  200910 – Section number: 001 – Class Days: TR 7:45a – 8:35 am - Classroom: SOM E202
Office: Band Office - 330.672.2965 - Telephone: 330.672.2965 (Kent Campus) - E-mail: mneiman@kent.edu
Office Hours: TR 9:00 – 9:55 am (Additional hours available by appointment)

BlackBoard and Text Readings

Submitted by:  Emily Young
Submitted for: Mr. Marcus L. Neiman, lecturer
Date: November 29, 2011

Freer, Patrick K.  (2008).  Boys’ changing voices in the first century of MENC journals.
  Music Educators Journal. (September). Pages 41-47.

    Several articles have been written about male changing voices.  When young men reach the eighth or ninth grade, their voice begins to change.  Vocal teachers have a lot to say about boys’ changing voices and how it effects their participation in vocal music ensembles.  Choral ensemble directors have to help these boys feel comfortable with themselves when their voice begins to change.  It can be common for boys to drop out of choral ensembles when they enter this stage of their lives.  Several people have offered suggestions to make this transition easier for these boys. 
    As a possible future high school choir director I will encounter boys that are going through vocal changes. This article will be useful to me in handling those kinds of boys.  This glimpse of information is a window to further research that I can do to help understand why boys voices change and how I can work with them through that time.  I would like to do everything I can to encourage these boys to continue to sing and be involved in music. 
    I think the author offered some very good tips in this article.  Having separate ensembles for men and women can be very beneficial to the students. Having more ensembles also allows for more repertoire selections.  I like that Freer stresses the importance of the teacher on the students. I feel that an ensembles ability is dependent on the director.  The director must be prepared for any issue that may occur in their students musical ability.