A case study of boys' experiences of singing in school

The problem of missing males in high school vocal classes ensembles is a symptom of the much greater problem of gender discrimination against males, which has been under-researched in music education (Koza, 1994; Svengalis, 1978). By denying themselves the full range of activities that could be available to them, boys are deprived of potential growth experiences that contribute to the construction of identity and self-esteem, and are therefore limited in their life possibilities. The researcher explores the location and meaning of singing within the personal/social universes of young adolescent males, in order to illuminate the negative and positive factors that influence their decision-making with regards to singing. The researcher observed the interactions of students in his grade 7 and 8 music classes and ensembles in a multi-class, multi-ethnic suburban senior public school; a journal of observations was used later as data for analysis. 16 boys and 2 girls from grades 7 and 8 participated in group- and individual interviews. Data were examined critically through multiple lenses, including a set of theoretical propositions that emerged from a synthesis of the literature in music and general education with the teacher-researcher's teaching experience. Data were further analyzed through the process of creating writing of fictional narratives that also constituted an artistic presentation of the data. A typology of identities emerged, which were marked by a hierarchy of masculinities and differing approaches to interaction with peers, schooling, and singing. Boys perceive the singing concurrently as a bodily-aesthetic act and a psychosocial act. Boys' decision making regarding singing is a complex series of evaluations and decisions, which is influenced by: culture and home environment; prior musical experiences and successes in school; public recognition from peers and teachers; and by issues of self-esteem, negative public visibility, and social-power as they relate to maturity and homophobia. Implications for music education and schooling are discussed.