To examine the changing-voice process, 141 males were interviewed regarding their voice change. Subjects included changing-voice boys (both singers and nonsingers) and men (both singers and nonsingers during time of voice change). Audiotaped interviews were scripted and verbal content analyzed. Results included the following: Boys remembered significantly more about their voice changes than did men. Singers remembered more than nonsingers. Significantly more singers than nonsingers noticed their voice change themselves and indicated that it affected both their singing and speaking. Five of every six interviewees regarded his voice change as a positive experience, but eight times more negative than positive comments were made. Vocabulary was limited to few words and was similar across all groups. Boys used “crack” and men used “break” to describe the sensation; few used musical terminology. Results are discussed in terms of teacher preparation for those working with adolescent boys.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Behnke, E., & Browne, L. (1885). The child's voice: Its treatment with regards to after-development. London: Sampson Low Press.
2.
Collins, D. L. (1993). Teaching choral music. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
3.
Cooksey, J. M. (1977). The development of a continuing, eclectic theory for the training and cultivation of the junior high school male changing voice. Part I: Existing theories. Part II: Scientific and empirical findings. Part III: Developing an integrated approach to the care and training of the junior high school male changing voice. Choral Journal, 18 (2, 3, 4), 5–13, 5-16, 5-15.
4.
Cooksey, J. M. (1984). The male adolescent changing voice: Some new perspectives. In M. Runfola (Ed.), Research symposium on the male adolescent voice (pp. 4–59). Buffalo: State University of New York Press.
5.
Cooper, I., & Kuersteiner, K. (1970). Teaching junior high music. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
6.
Groom, M. D. (1984). A descriptive analysis of development in adolescent male voices during the summer time period. In M. Runfola (Ed.), Research symposium on the male adolescent voice (pp. 80–85). Buffalo: State University of New York Press.
7.
Fontana, A., & Frey, J. H. (1994). Interviewing: The art of science. In N. K Denzin & Y S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (pp. 361–376). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
8.
Hausmann, C., March, H., Miller, S., & Roe, B. (1988). The world of choral music. Lexington, MA: Silver Burdett & Ginn.
9.
Hoffer, C. (1965). Teaching music in the secondary schools. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
10.
Huff-Gackle, L. (1985). The young adolescent female voice (ages 11-15): Classification, placement, and development of tone. Choral Journal, 26, 15–18.
11.
Killian, J. (1990). Experience as a factor in perceived difficulty of peer versus judged performances. In T. Tunks (Ed.), Texas Music Education Research 1990.Austin: Texas Music Education Association.
12.
Killian, J., O'Hern, M., & Rann, L. (1995). Essential repertoire for the young choir: Tenor bass. Teacher's edition (E. Crocker, Ed.). Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard.
13.
Luchsinger, R., & Arnold, G. (1965). Voice-speech-language clinical communicology: It's physiology and pathology. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
14.
Madsen, C., & Alley, J. (1979). The effect of reinforcement on attentiveness: A comparison of behaviorally trained music therapists and other professionals with implications for competency-based academic preparation. Journal of Music Therapy, 16, 70–82.
15.
May, W. (Ed.). (1987). Something to sing about for young voices. New York: G. Schirmer.
16.
McKenzie, D. (1956). Training the boy's changing voice. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
17.
Metz, D. (1980). Teaching general music in grades 6-9. Columbus, OH: Charles E.
18.
Merrill. Moore, M. (1995). The adolescent male changing voice: A study of age and attitudinal comparisons. Unpublished master's thesis, Texas Woman's University.
19.
Roe, R. (1983). Choral music education. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
20.
Rutkowski, J. (1984). Two year results of a longitudinal study investigating the validity of Cooksey's theory for training the adolescent male voice. In M. Runfola (Ed.), Research symposium on the male adolescent voice (pp. 86–96). Buffalo: State University of New York.
21.
Siegel, S. (1956). Nonparametric statistics for the behavioral sciences. New York: McGraw-Hill.
22.
Swanson, F. (1961). The proper care and feeding of changing voices. Music Educators Journal, 48 (2), 63–67.
23.
Swanson, F. (1977). The vanishing basso profundo fry tones. Choral Journal, 17 (5), 5–10.
24.
Swanson, F. (1981). The young male with a changing voice. National Association of Teachers of Singing, 38 (1), 32–34.
25.
Tanner, J. (1975). Sequence, tempo, and individual variation in the growth and development of boys and girls aged twelve to sixteen. In R. Grinder (Ed.), Studies in adolescence (pp. 502–521). New York: Macmillan Press.
26.
Williams, B. (1991). A comparison of self-perceptions of the singing and speaking voice of two groups of girls: Pre-menarchial and post-menarchial. Paper presented at Texas Music Educators Association state convention, San Antonio, TX.
