Transcript BOYS TO MEN a remarkable transition DIALOGUE 2011x

A Remarkable
Transformation!
I would like to share with you…
 Considerations regarding classification of
young tenors and basses.
 Considerations for picking music that
adequately suits the newly-changed, yet
immature male voice. (basically 9th and 10th
grade boys)
 Changing Boys Voices – Honesty, Passion,
Consideration, and Aggression.
 OPEN DIALOGUE
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“Grovelers!” What can I do with a “groveler?”
 The three main things I ask my boys to think about are: BE AGGRESSIVE,
TALL IN BACK OF HEAD / LOOSE CHIN, and SNOTTY TONE. A snotty
tone should be encouraged!
 Nasal resonance really seems to help boys, and men, release tension in their
throat, ultimately helping them move through pitches that they don’t trust.
 Be patient. I have had several grovelers that took 6 months to fix, but I’ve
NEVER had one that went on forever!
All changed voices seem to be considered basses.
 Too often the earliest voices to change are considered the basses and the later
ones are considered the tenors. Then in 9th and 10th grade, half the boys are in
the wrong section!
 It is quite common for boys in the 9th and 10th grade to switch from the bass
section to the tenor section. Why?
 EVERY boy becomes a New/Settling baritone at some point. Therefore, most
tenors start their “career” as baritone/basses. Be ready for this, and explain it
to them. Late bloomers are no less likely to become basses than students who
mature early.
Balance…
 HAHA!
 Who cares!?!
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Stage of Voice Change
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Resonance
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Young boys may not want to be tenors, but more importantly, they don’t want to be
embarrassed. Don’t be afraid to tell them what you are listening for.
Fat Tone vs. Focused Tone (nasal…)
Heaviness and Huskiness vs. Lyrical and Relaxed
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Where is the sound hangin’ out?
Posture/Technique. How efficiently do they sing?
Comfort within the range and “fake” notes
Hesitation is normal.
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This is the first, and may turn out to be the only, thing to consider.
An unchanged / early changing voice is a tenor.
This still may not ultimately tell you whether they will be a tenor a bass, but it will
help you decide if you can move them to tenor or not.
Regardless of range, I don’t move them until they can with reasonably efficient
posture. It is not fair to them if I do.
EVERYONE IS A BARITONE…
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If you don’t consciously teach vocal techniques that will “build” tenors, you won’t
have any… or you’ll have very few.
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Range Considerations
 G (bottom line, bass clef) is a pretty safe note for New/Settling Baritones
 Although a number of your young basses may have lower notes, one should be
mindful of the technique they use to produce them. Too many low notes too
early could create some bad habits. Don’t be afraid to decide which singers will
sing the lowest notes.
 A (top line, bass clef) is the highest comfortable note for many New/Settling
Baritones. That may even be a stretch, especially for “Grovelers.”
SAB music may not solve your problems
 Often the “B” part utilizes full octave ranges, which many young men don’t
have yet… or at least not the same octave as the guy next to them! 
 It may be necessary to make adjustments to the music in order to accommodate
success for your singers. There are a number of composers who are mindful of
developing voice ranges. (Spevacek, Harris, Parks, Althouse, etc.)
 There is a belief by many that SAB music is necessary because young choirs
(boys) are unable to handle the complexity of other voicings. Complexity is
better than impossibility.
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Consider D above middle C as “the last comfortable note” for young tenors.
 Key of F works really well usually. G is okay, A and C are often
DANGEROUS!
 Some composers do a really good job of using dangerous keys responsibly.
Avoiding SAB music may be necessary for success.
 Remember that many “tenors” this age are not actual tenors – they are
voices that haven’t become “new baritones.” Therefore, they likely do not
have much usable range below E/F below middle C.
It is possible to pick music that gives them ample opportunities for success,
while presenting some challenges that may help them grow as singers.
 It’s okay to pick music that “flirts with danger” and contains notes outside
the comfortable range. Too much “flirting” can result in very bad singing
habits.
 If you can’t keep your chin under control, you don’t get to sing tenor!
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HONESTY
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PASSION
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Be excited about what is happening for the young men. Let them know that you are
enjoying the process for them.
Don’t for a second believe that they aren’t picking up on how you really feel.
Rachmaninoff got me here, but it isn’t what kept me.
CONSIDERATION
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This is the situation and IT IS NORMAL!
“This is part of becoming a man!” (not just a cave man, but a real man)
Have fun with the reality. Laugh together. Bullies get CRUSHED by me!
You must be considerate of their limitations by not asking them to do things that
they can not be successful at. (throw your ego aside and do the music that you are
supposed to do, not always what you want to do)
Boys will develop a hierarchy within the classroom – be sure that it isn’t hurtful or
painful. Find ways to even the playing field so that ALL BOYS are part of the
difficult transition.
AGGRESSION
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We will be aggressive about singing!
Voice change is not an excuse for inaccurate singing.
Doing nothing, or bowing out, are seldom helpful.
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MY CORE BELIEFS:
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Number of voice parts (TTB, TB, B, etc.) has nothing to do with
skill. It has EVERYTHING to do with vocal range. Wrong
vocal range – THE CHILD WILL HAVE NO SKILL!
Use 3 parts if you have them gender separate. This is the most
efficient way to accommodate the various stages of change.
 BTW, most 3-part music for men DOESN’T work for 7 & 8
boys… huh???
 Number of boys doesn’t matter, you still need 3 parts.
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Use SATB… SAB is a trap! Why do I think that?
 If I have a mixed choir, how can I make this work??? Who’s a
tenor and who’s a bass?
 Separate 7th & 8th mixed groups can be especially challenging.
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Balance… what do we say about balance?
I hope this doesn’t offend any composers, but I make
adjustments regularly.
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At times I am their friend. Not because I’m cool, or
because I play video games, but because I have their
back and I hold them accountable like a true friend
would.
Although they are unruly and smelly, in their hearts
they want me to be proud of them. THEY TRUST ME,
and this trust is earned through my passion for their
success.
Every year I make this promise – “I will not let you
make a fool of yourself.”
My expectations are always high. This shows the boys
that I have confidence in them, even when so often
they don’t believe in themselves. Over time, they too
will expect more from themselves!
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And… I’m a liar!
You will make mistakes, and your kids will see
it, and this is the most import part of why they
trust you!
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Because I am willing to admit that I am sometimes
wrong, they trust that I am always considering what
is best for them.
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Although mentorship programs can be helpful,
you may still want to seek out others on your
own.
Influential People for me:
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Stan Carlson, Carlin Berg, Axel Theimer, Mike
Smith, Chris Aspaas, Brian Stubbs, Ann Motl, Gene
Mattilla, John Gagliardi… many, many more!