Hearing the Voices of Adolescent Boys in Choral Music: A Self-Story

Abstract

The techniques of narrative inquiry may provide a framework for investigations of how the social, academic, and musical needs of adolescents can inform the process of teaching choral music in the middle grades. While a burgeoning body of narrative literature illustrates the musical experiences of individuals during instruction, missing from this dialogue are the voices of “marginalized singers”- those who want to participate in choral music but who feel excluded because of perceived ability or other attributions. When teaching strategies do not reflect the changing needs of young adolescent boys, the result can be an experience of frustration and disempowerment; this was the personal experience of the author. The author draws upon his self-story to suggest that listening to the stories of young adolescent boys about their singing experiences may provide a more complete understanding of how success and persistence can be planned for within the choral environment of middle schools.