Where Are All The Boys?

A guide for teaching singing to adolescent boys

TJ Taylor

Introduction
As a Musical Director and leader of theatre groups for over 6 years and a performer for 10, I know just how hard it can be to engage teenage boys into singing and the arts. As a teacher you are constantly faced with choirs, ensembles and classes full of willing girls with very few if any boys wanting to participate in anything singing or theatre related. This poses many challenges when trying to put on performance work as ensembles can be left sounding female heavy and shows are produced with girls playing male parts. Over the last few years I have worked at trying to engage more teenage boys into singing and this booklet provides a summary of my research and experiences and also provides helpful advice and guidance from engaging boys, keeping their interest and most importantly helping them improve safely! Teaching boys around their early teenage years is a daunting prospect for even an accomplished singing teacher with their voice being so fragile as it advances through the changes associated with puberty. In this booklet I have tried to address the key issues of this vocal change and provided key information on how to care for and nurture the boys through their change safely and productively.

Contents
1. The Challenges - The Problems and Solutions to getting boys involved with singing 3. The Vocal Change - What Happens to the voice during the vocal change? 5. Dealing With The Change - How to deal with the physical problems that come with the vocal change 7. Warm Up - How to effectively warm up for singing 8. Cambiata - The Cambiata system of classication for boys going through the vocal change

Singing Is Gay!

Singing Is Uncool!

Singing Is For Girls!

I Cant Sing!

Masculinity and Singing

The Challenges

Im sure at some point in the past you have heard a young boy say one of the above phrases or something similar. These are some of the common perceptions of singing by young boys and are part of the reason for the lack of participation in singing related activities. As boys grow up, move schools try to t in with new friendships they naturally feel they need to also nd their masculinity and start questioning what this means to them. Emotions and feelings suddenly become something to hide for fear or ridicule from peers. All actions and interactions are then questioned to make sure that the perception from peers is good and that they are not embarrassing themselves. Singing is a very personal and exposing act for everyone not just young boys, however, for boys who are trying to t in and embrace their new masculinity the act of singing is very exposing and leaves them open to ridicule and failure. Boys generally embrace that their voice will drop or has dropped in pitch so when they sing and they then have to take their pitch into higher register this then sounds like a girls voice and together with the higher participation of girls in singing activities this is the reason for the common use of the phrase singing is for girls. Finding a male role model in your staff or even in the students themselves can be a very useful tool to changing boys opinions on singing! If you know there is a male staff member who can give it some on karaoke or genuinely has singing talent, try to promote them at every opportunity and get them to promote singing activities themselves. Boys play football.......Not Sing in Choir Competing with the P.E. Department who offer boys masculine activities like football and other sports can be a difcult rival to face. What is important to note about the psychology of sport is the competition aspect of the game. Teenage boys especially love competition as they compete each day to become more respected by their peers and this psychology is especially relevant in sports where the aim is to win someone else. What is also key in sport is the promotion of team spirit and working together, with these two things in mind you can then tailor your classes to be more inviting to boys. By making sure that your classes do not clash with any other activities like sports clubs etc you are then opening up the opportunity for more boys to potentially join. Embracing the competition and team spirit attributes of sporting activities we can then promote this within choirs, ensembles and theatre groups. By creating events where singing is seen as a competition like choir competitions, theatre festivals or inter school talent competitions, there can then be something gained from joining one of these groups and if any achievement within these groups is then widely promoted to their peers it becomes a more inviting prospect to join in! It is extremely important to try to use the competition tool within an ensemble rather than individual singers as ghting to be the best in the group is destructive for the individual but also the group dynamic as well! 1

But I Cant Sing! This is a common problem for not just young boys but for a large majority of people when it comes to participating in singing activities. With the rise of popular shows like Xfactor, The Voice and Britains Got Talent, the nation now is accustomed to watching these talent shows and making their own judgments about people singing voices and are very much aware of the criticism that can come from singing in public. As human beings we are very sensitive about our feelings and this is especially evident in teenage boys who would see the risk of embarrassing themselves in public as too great a risk so would rather not put themselves in the situation in the rst place. Once the embraced phase is over for a singer the next step is to build and maintain a condence in their abilities. It is of upmost importance in a singing practice room to be positive. Over my career I have heard so many stories from uncondent singers who tell me that they were once knocked back by a negative comment from a teacher or peer and this has stayed with them and held them back. As an educator it is vitally important that the feedback and instruction you give is constructive rather than negative as even the smallest negative comment that you feel was nothing, could have a personal impact on the pupil that could affect them for the rest of their life. Nurturing singing condence is a challenge for singing teachers, however, through promoting good vocal technique and managing each singers journey carefully it can certainly be achieved. We talk about vocal technique later in the booklet however by making sure the singer understands what they need to do and what they are doing right, they can build on this condence knowing how to improve and what obstacles they have already achieved. By taking ownership of the rehearsal room and creating a supportive environment where each individual supports everyone and feels comfortable singing within the ensemble and to the group, you then have the platform to build performance condence for public performances to outside audiences. Singing Is Uncool For many teenage boys choirs, musical theatre and singing lessons are seen as something that doesnt appeal to them because the choirs just sing church songs and musicals are all about dancing and are really old school. There is a very simple solution to this problem and that is modernising your projects and curriculum. With musicals in particular the modern shows like We Will Rock You, Rock of Ages, Rent and American Idiot have some amazingly fun and exciting numbers that have great opportunities for teenage boys and the main aim is to tell them about how much fun they can have! Choirs should try to avoid classic repertoire as there is some fantastic arrangements of modern songs that adolescent boys boys will love available online and from good music retailers. The key is promoting the material! In schools try creating an exciting assembly perhaps showing clips from the show or number you are going to do and get the assembly hall laughing and genuinely interested in the project. A good tip would be to try and stage a number or an ensemble with some of the teachers and with a focus on some of the more well loved and respected male staff to show the boys that it is ok to sing or perform. Getting male staff involved I understand could be a challenge however by hook or by crook try to involve them in creating interest in the show or ensemble even if they do not want to be directly involved. Adolescent boys need role-models especially if their singing teacher is female. Getting older boys to assist with the younger students could persuade them to start singing if they see their older peers doing it too.

The Vocal Change

A Fragile Time The vocal change is a fragile time for young males with the onset of puberty having a big effect on many aspects of their life but especially in the voice. From the age of 11/12 many things happen to the voice during puberty and the affects are different for every voice. Through this time many boys will experience what people can describe as a crack or a breaking voice with uncontrolled pitch changes and ultimately a substantial drop in speaking pitch. These are all very common and natural processes as the muscles that form vocal production are growing and expanding like any other muscle in the body. There is no one way to deal with a boy going through this vocal change as each experience is completely individual, however armed with the knowledge of what is physically happening at this time you can help guide your students through the change safely and productively. Voice Anatomy It would be difcult to give you the specic details of vocal technique in such a small booklet however the next sections aim to give you some basic exercises specically targeted for use with boys at this time. For more detailed information about the voice anatomy and singing technique please refer to materials such as Singing and The Actor By Gyllianne Kayes which is based around the Jo Estill Singing model. In its simplest form the process of singing is as follows: The Diaphragm expands to allow air into the lungs The Diaphragm then contracts pushing air back up the trachea (windpipe) towards the larynx The larynx positions itself as Air passes through the vocal folds causing them to vibrate The Vibrations from the vocal folds then resonate in the resonating spaces (Oral, Nasal, Chest) The Tongue and lips then create the diction and words It is important for anyone teaching singing to understand this process and try and promote the physical action of singing to their students so they understand how they are making the sound. Many singing teachers avoid teaching boys when they are going through the vocal change for fear of damaging the voice and lack of understanding of what is happening. At the time of the vocal change it is more important than ever to promote good singing technique and to provide students with the tools and support they need to go through this transition safely. !

What Happens To The Voice During The Change? Firstly it is important to note that describing the changes in the voice as breaking or cracking is a complete misunderstanding of what is happening and promotes the wrong idea to students. You should use the phrase the Vocal Change which promotes the fact that the voice is changing and developing rather than breaking which is a very negative description and worrying for a young boy experiencing this change. The obvious observation of what happens during puberty to the voice is the dramatic lowering of pitch. This pitch change is caused by the disproportionate growth of the larynx mainly in the thyroid cartilage which then causes a protruding adams apple. The thyroid cartilage surrounds the vocal folds and plays a big part in the production of sound as the vocal folds are connected to this and other cartilage structures that then stretch the folds thinner or bunch them thicker to resonate at different pitches. With the thyroid cartilage playing such a vital part of voice production, when higher levels of testosterone force it to grow during puberty, the vocal folds and the other supporting mechanisms of the voice then have to speed up their growth to match the thyroid cartilage. It is during this time that boys are more likely to experience problems with pitch as the muscles and structures are trying to grow and are very unstable as they do so. Another problem that boys face during puberty is the increase in the bulk of the thyroartytenoid muscle. This is basically the muscles that sit behind the vocal folds and provide support to the folds to keep them in place. With an increased thyrartytenoid mass, the vocal folds then are forced to expand to a rectangular wedge shape which then allows more closure of the vocal fold causing more vibrations and resulting in a richer deeper sound. With the shape of the vocal folds changing, adolescent boys are faced with the challenge of their body trying to develop new muscle patterns to use with this new shape and as this happens the unstable nature of this growth then causes register icks, and pitch drops. (Ritze, Ingo R., NATS Journal, Jaunary/February 1993)

Thyroartytenoid Muscle Grows

Dealing With The Change As we have discovered, the unstable nature of the boys voice and the uncertainty between each individual means that having a general way of teaching adolescent boys through the change is challenging. What I provide below are some tips on promoting healthy use of the voice at this time and things to look out for and prevent. Breathing Breathing is an incredibly important part of all singers technique however it is critically important in adolescent males going through the vocal change. Good breathing should come from the diaphragm and should be monitored when singing to provide the right amount of breath to suit the needs of each verse or phrase. Breathing is a natural bodily function that we all do every second of every day to survive, however in singing, the breathing pattern is often changed too much and this is when problems occur. Below are the simple steps to good breathing technique followed by problems to look out for and how to x them. 1. Breathe in through the mouth and as you do the abdomen should go out meaning that the diaphragm has allowed the air to enter the lungs 2. Let your abdomen relax as the diaphragm contracts pushing the air out of the lungs back up the trachea towards the larynx where the air is turned into the sound 3. Once the lungs reach negative pressure and you are running out of air, the diaphragm will automatically recoil taking in enough air to repeat the process once again Breathing Exercise 1. 2. 3. Breath in for four counts Hold for Four counts Out for four counts

4. Increase the out breath for longer each time to work the diaphragm and strengthen the muscle to improve vocal stamina and control of the breath. Problems to look out for: Shouting/Driving the breath - This is the most dangerous of all vocal issues I have come across for boys during the change. Modern music is constantly pushing boundaries of range and vocal ability and as children listen to their favorite artists and songs they try to copy what they are hearing on the recordings. Often the songs are too high for them and they are pushing their range way beyond their abilities. This often causes people to drive the breath at the sound to try and force the note out ultimately putting way too much pressure on the vocal folds and potentially causing lasting damage. For boys going through the change with such unstable voices it is even more important to discourage this driven sound so you must promote healthy sustained breathing by using the above exercise and constantly monitor how they are doing in class or rehearsals. Over-breathing - By taking too much air into the lungs you are causing extra pressure in the body and this can cause the sound to be constricted or forced or even not come out. By only taking in the right amount of air for the phrase you are removing the excess pressure and allowing the diaphragm to freely provide a ow of air to the larynx. Breathing In the Chest - This is one of the most common problems for breathing technique when singers have had no prior training. Breathing high in the chest causes pressure to build up near the larynx and does not have the support of the diaphragmatic muscles to control the pressure. By getting students to stand in front of a mirror sideways and watch where the air ow goes you can help them monitor the breath and show them that it should just be their tummy that goes out not their chest. 5

Vocal Health Promoting vocal health is a must for all singers but especially in adolescent boys. Vocal health is often common sense and simple every day actions that we take for granted but are extremely necessary for singers especially young boys who need to monitor their fragile growth. 1. Drink Water - This seems like a simple obvious point however it is one that is often overlooked. Water is important in vocal production as it provides hydration and lubrication to the vocal folds so they can meet safely and not scratch if dried out. Make sure that students are bringing bottles of water to the rehearsals and are constantly drinking throughout. If they do not bring their own try to provide a water fountain or a jug and provide regular breaks for students to have a drink. Flavored water and zzy drinks are not suitable for the rehearsal room as the avoring can be sticky or dry up the larynx. 2. Avoid Shouting - Telling adolescent boys to not shout can be a very difcult task with their excitable personalities dominating the playground and shouting during sports games etc. You should try your best to discourage shouting as shouting unsafely provides too much pressure to the vocal folds causing them to meet too harshly. 3. Avoid singing or talking if there is a problem - If anyone is feeling that their voice is not like it should be, scratchy or they are loosing their voice, they should immediately stop singing, stop talking if possible and go on complete voice rest until the voice is better again. If the problem persists they should seek medical advice. For boys going through the vocal change it is especially important to stop singing as continuing to sing through the pain could be causing permanent damage that could last for their entire life as the muscles are growing and settling into place. 4. Avoid singing for long periods of time - Singing for long periods of time without a rest is harmful to the voice as it could damage and overwork the vocal folds causing them to dry up and scratch. Try to make rehearsals short and manageable with plenty of breaks. On long days before a performance etc. let the students vocally mark the performance or be on voice rest in between each run to allow the vocal folds to rest. 5. Warm Up - Warming up efciently and safely is the key to having a safe and healthy rehearsal and we shall talk more about the warm up in the next section. Retraction Above the vocal folds are the false vocal folds which are there to protect the larynx but can get in the way when we are singing. During singing the false vocal folds should be retracted and abducted to the sides of the thyroid to allow air to freely pass through the larynx. When they are constricted and adducted, air gets trapped as it hits them and causes a strained sound. This strain and extra pressure is particularly dangerous for an adolescent boy as the trapped sound causes pressure on the true vocal folds. The below exercise helps you feel the false vocal folds and when they are constricted and how to abduct them to allow an unconstricted sound. 1. Sit on a chair and place your hands underneath the sides of the chair. Try to Pull up. You should feel a tension in the larynx which is the vocal folds coming into play. 2. The easiest way to abduct the vocal folds is an exercise called the silent laugh. When we laugh or are happy the false vocal folds naturally retract to the side of the thyroid. Try laughing to yourself. You should feel the space in the larynx open up. Slowly start to remove the sound from your laugh until it is silent. You should still be keeping the open feel in the larynx. This is the safe and fun way to promote retraction to young students and by telling them to smile and giggle through a song will open up the false vocal folds safely.

The Warm-Up
Why Warm Up? ! Warming up the voice is incredibly important because the vocal folds and singing mechanisms are muscles like any other and you wouldn't start a marathon without warming up your body so you shouldn't start a singing rehearsal without effectively warming up the vocal muscles before. Below is a warm up that is specically stuttered to steadily warm up the voice effectively as well as extending upon technique and promoting good vocal health. Many warm up books and singing teachers will start straight away with scales or range exercises, these are wonderful and can be used to engage students however they must be used after the voice has been used properly so that range can be extended safely. Body Singing involves the whole body and all tensions should be released before any vocalisation. Start with some light stretches to release tension especially in the neck and shoulders. Align the spine and make sure posture is correct. (Hips and neck should be centered) Unlock the knees Silent Cheer (This removes constriction from the false vocal folds and should be considered throughout) Breathing Breathing and vocalising on sounds is the key to warming up the voice throughly. Not only does this engage the diaphragm correctly but allows the airow and the sounds to gently start resonating the vocal folds at more sustained frequencies. Unvoiced Sounds (These engage the diaphragm and provide a gentle ow of air to the vocal folds) Basic Breathing, fff, hh, s, shhh, vvv, sgsh Voiced Sounds (These start to engage the voice at speaking pitch with the vocal folds resonating for longer than when in conversation. Also each sound is designed to engage a specic resonating space. Ze, Ze, Za, Zo, Zu (Chest Resonator/Sob) Nye Nye Nye, (Nasal Resonator/Twang) Yeah Yeah Yeah, eh-oh, (Oral Resonator/Speech) AEIOU Breathing exercise (Engages the diaphragm and works on breathing stamina) Introducing Range At this point it is important to start introducing a wider range but safely and gently with sounds and light breaths to avoid driving too much air in the higher range. Siren on Sing (This engages the vocal folds to control their transition through pitch) Lip & Tongue Trills - Full Range Slides and Octave Slides (Trills add gentle sound to the breath to gently engage the vocal folds at different resonating levels) 5ths on vowel sounds (Adding full voice to the range for the rst time without taking it too high) Diction Diction is extremely important so it is important to engage the tongue and the lips correctly. Tongue Twisters (These engage the lips and the tongue where diction is mostly created. It is important to swap tongue twisters occasionally) 5ths on T sounds, Ta to Tu Te Etc (Encourage diction within singing) Range Now that the breath is engaged and the vocal chords are vibrating safely it is safe to extend on the range work with more full voice exercises. Arpeggios On Vowels/Pepperoni & Mozzarella for diction Yee Octave Slides (Yee in a cry quality allows the voice to travel through the octave slowly through each resonating frequency requiring control of the muscles) Specic Exercises! At this point you should warm up for any specic qualities you will be using after the warm up. E.g. Belt, Speech/ Twang Mix, Twang, Jazz, Opera etc. Voice Check Finally make sure that your voice is throughly warm by checking that your siren moves through the range cleanly and smoothly. 7

Cambiata
Pitching it Right Choral directors for years have struggled to place young boys going through the vocal change into choral arrangements. You can have a wonderful soprano boy who sings beautifully and the week after he has dropped in pitch causing much headache for the choral director. Often these boys are just placed with the baritone voices which can be too low for them at the start of their vocal change. Research by the author John Cooksey in America revealed that there should be middle stages for these boys called the cambiata stages. This is where music is orchestrated around specic ranges that t for the middle voices between a young unchanged voice and a new baritone voice. Below are the details of the cambiata system and the stages that a changing voice will go through. Cambiata Ranges Stage Treble Midvoice I / Cambiata 1 Midvoice II / Cambiata 2 New Baritone Emerging Adult Voice Average Age 11-12 11-12 12-13 13-15+ 14-15+ Comfortable Singing Range C#4-A#4 B3-G4 F3-A4 D#3-A#4 B2-G#3 Mean Ranges For Singing A3-F5 A3-C5 G#3-F4 B2-D#4 G2-D4

The above table was compiled from works by John Cooksey (1999) and Martin Ashley (2008)

Before undertaking a project you should create a scenario where you are able to test where each students voice at the beginning of working with them so you can then closely monitor its development through the stages and place them in the right category. You should explain to the student what each category means and support them as they move between them as often it can be a confusing time as sometimes the move between the stages can be very swift in some voices. Try not to make listening to their voices an audition scenario as this could put boys of starting altogether, make it an informal light hearted occasion where you are informing them of their current capabilities or why they are moving between classications. Material for Cambiata Cambiata material has now become more widely available for choirs and a good resource is: www.cambiatapress.com

Thank You
This booklet Was designed with promoting vocal health in adolescent boys and dealing with the issue of the lack of knowledge about he vocal change. I hope you have found it extremely informative and if you would like any more information on this area please refer to the below references or feel free to contact me through the email below for more advice or to send in comments or questions about information within. References

Ashley, Martin

How high should boys sing? : Gender, authenticity and credibility in the young male voice Teaching singing to boys and teenagers : the young male voice and the problem of masculinity Working with Adolescent Voices Singing and the Actor : Second Edition

Ashgate Publishing The Edward Mellen Press Concordia Publishing House A &C Black Pulishers Ltd.

2009

Ashley, Martin

2008

Cooksey, John M. Kayes, Gillyanne

1999 2004

Author TJ Taylor tj_taylor@aol.co.uk http://tjtaylo3.wix.com/tjtaylor Published 2013