Cheryl Kim

Vocal Pedagogy: E494

March 30, 2018

Annotated Bibliography: Teaching Adolescent Changing Voices

Andersen, Dan (2017). Warm-Ups for Changing Voices: Building Healthy Middle School Voices.

Milwaukee: Hal Leonard.

 Call Number: MT875. A53

A changing voice is just one of countless physiological and emotional changes that middle

school students experience. Knowing the general limits of male and female changing voices, as

well as the specific capabilities of the students, are two keys to building healthy and happy

middle school singers. This book is an accessible, must-read resource for any middle-school

choir director looking to foster stronger, more capable musicians, and offers 25 warm-up

exercises along with customized grade-specific tips for using them along with free access to

accompanying audio recordings. The book starts off with explaining the general characteristics

of voices of different gender and grade. Then it moves into providing corresponding exercises

within the body of text. Nice point about this book is that it provides very specific instructions

for each warm-up; it provides approximate ranges that each warm-up should go for each grade

level.

 Chapter Headings

1. Gender and Grade

2. Basic Warm-Up Outline

3. Common Mistakes

4. Warm-ups
 5. What to Play as They Sing

 Audience Most Benefitted

o Middle school choir directors

o Private teachers teaching middle school students

 Useful Portions

o All the warm-ups and their explanations

Fisher, Ryan A. (2014). The Impacts of the Voice Change, Grade Level, and Experience on the

Singing Self-Efficacy of Emerging Adolescent Males. Journal of Research in Music

Education, 62(3), 277-290.

Abstract from the study:

The purposes of the study are to describe characteristics of the voice change in sixth-, seventh-,

and eighth-grade choir students using Cooksey's voice-change classification system and to

determine if the singing self-efficacy of adolescent males is affected by the voice change, grade

level, and experience. Participants (N = 80) consisted of volunteer sixth-grade, seventh-grade,

and eighth-grade males enrolled in a public school choral program. Participants completed the

Singing Self-Efficacy Scale for Emerging Adolescent Males (SSES). After completing the SSES,

participants were individually audio-recorded performing simple vocal exercises to attain each

boy's vocal range. Results revealed that 45% of sixth-grade participants, 48. 1 5% of seventh

grade participants, and 87.88% of eighth-grade participants were classified as changing voices.

Results of a three-way between-subjects ANOVA revealed no main effect for voice-change stage

or grade level. A main effect was found for experience, favoring participants with 3 or more

years of experience in choir. No statistically significant interactions were found.

  Audience Most Benefitted

o Music Educators in deep interest of the topic

Ingram, Madeline D. and William C. Rice (1962). Vocal Technique for Children and Youth.

Nashville: Abingdon Press.

 Call Number: MT898. I54

The book discusses methods and materials in terms of different age and grade levels. Each

chapter mentions the characteristics and challenges of singing for each school levels, provides

snippets of songs appropriate (and inappropriate examples) for the levels, and many more tips

appropriate for the age range. If I were to use this book for adolescent changing voices, this book

would serve as a nice reminder that students with changing voices should not always be singing

too low, and that students need to be constantly reminded that the changing voice is a natural

development. The idea that this should be emphasized was very interesting: the “new” voice will

be better than the old one. Students going through the voice change should be encouraged and

given enough motivation to continue singing, and this book points that out very well.

 Chapter Headings

1. The Preschooler

2. The Primary Child

3. The Junior Child

4. Grades Seven and Eight

5. The Ninth Grade

6. Grades Ten, Eleven, and Twelve

 7. Resources (Books, Articles, Recordings, Songbooks, Anthems, Solo Materials,

Films)

 Audience Most Benefitted

o Wide range of music teachers: from general to high school choral teachers

 Useful Portions

o pp. 54-55

o p. 63 and on

Mayer, Frederick D. and Jack Sacher. The Changing Voice. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing

House.

 Call Number: MT898. M468

This small book is a nice introduction to the changing voice, as it presents and discusses about

very fundamental knowledge regarding the topic. In the first chapter, the physical changes of the

larynx is explained in a very accessible way for anyone to understand. Then different first signs

of voice change is listed below. In the next chapter, the approximate ranges for each part is listed

with clearly with staff notation. At the end, the book mentions about the amount of endurance

and intensity that should be put on students with changing voices. The nice part about this book

is that it is understandable and easily accessible by a wider range of audiences. However, the

book does not fully address exercises or methods that should be done with the changing voices.

 Chapter Headings

o The Nature of the Changing Voice

o Range and Tessitura

o Intensity and Endurance

  Audience Most Benefitted

o Anyone interested in the adolescent changing voice and teaching it

 Useful Portions

o The second chapter with clear ranges for each voice parts

McKenzie, Duncan (1956). Training the Boy’s Changing Voice. New Brunswick: Rutgers

University Press.

 Call Number: MT915. M15

This book explains about the topic in great depth, starting from the theories, history,

characteristics, ranges, methods for testing the voices, and more. The book is divided into two

distinct sections, the first being an in-depth explanation about the voice changing process and the

use of alto-tenor plan under classroom conditions, which comes from the author’s own

experience in schools of Scotland and Canada, and of observation and consultation with teachers

in different parts of America. One thing that I appreciate about this book is the care and special

attention that is given to tenors and “pre-tenors,” to combat the lack of them in later years of

choirs. The second part is about other plans and their examples in different places in the world

(refer to the chapter headings). One thing that is not the best about the book is that it is outdated

and the readers will have to adjust accordingly when applying the ideas to their teaching.

 Chapter Headings

PART 1

1. The Boy Voice Question: Traditional vs. Modern Theory

2. The Evolution of the Alto-Tenor Plan

3. The Boy’s Voice During Adolescence

 a. The Chest Voice, Speech Training, The Lowering Process, The Different

Stages of the Changing Voice

4. The Comfortable Range Policy

a. Flexibility of Classification, Non-permanency of Classification, The High

Note Difficulty in the Changed Voice, Effect of the Long Vacation

5. Passing from the Unchanged to the Changed Voice

a. “Manipulating” the Voice in the Break Area, Yodeling as a Vocal

Technique, Controlling a Gap, Developing the Upper Bass Range

6. Voice Testing

a. Sample Tests, The Importance of Rehearsing the Tests, Solving Minor

Difficulties, Time Budget for Voice Testing, The Voice Card

7. Tonal Possibilities in the Junior High School Chorus

a. Rehearsal Techniques, The Conductor’s Concept, Working for Good

Tone, The Alto-Tenor Section, The Bass Section, The Mixed Voice

Chorus

8. Preserving the Pre-Tenor Voice

9. A Selection of Voice Histories

PART 2

10. The Junior High School Boys’ Glee Club: Adapting the Alto-Tenor Plan

11. The Adolescent Boy in the American Church Choir Program

12. The Baritone Plan in the Cathedral Diocesan Choir of Brooklyn

13. The Countertenor Plan of St. Luke’s Choristers, California

14. The Junior Choirmen’s Class at St. Mark’s, Philadelphia

 15. The Choral Music Program at Oundle School, England

16. Choral Singing in a New Zealand High School

17. Conclusions

 Audience Most Benefitted

o Junior High Choir Teachers

o Children’s Choir (non-school) teachers and directors

McRae, Shirley W. (1991). Directing the Children’s Choir: A Comprehensive Resource. New

York: Schirmer Books.

 Call Number: MT915. M18

This is a book with all tools and gadgets in all in one, along with Ken Phillips’ Teaching Kids to

Sing. However, this book intends to serve as resource for church choir directors and teachers,

while it could also help all other varieties of choir directors. Also this book differs from Phillips’

as it intends more to ground and formulate personal philosophy on how to direct children’s choir,

as to provide ways to teach in a certain way. This book is actually not intended for changing

voices; however there is a short section in the book where it addresses the changing voice.

Although it does not explore the topic in depth, it points out very important things choral

directors should remember as they face changing voices in their choirs.

 Chapter Headings

1. Getting Started: Promoting and Organizing the Children’s Choir

2. How Firm a Foundation: Music and Children in the Church

3. The Children

4. Two Contemporary Approaches (Kodaly, Orff)

 5. Preparing for the Choir’s Year

6. Working with the Child’s Voice

7. The Rehearsal

8. Enriching the Program

 Audience Most Benefitted

o Church, School, Community-based choir teachers

 Useful Portions

o Chapter 6: Working with the Child’s Voice, page 151 “The Changing Voice”

Mellalieu, W. Norman (1935). The Boy’s Changing Voice. London: Oxford University Press.

 Call Number: MT898. M5

This little book helps teachers to understand the changing voice and provides methods that were

utilized at the Royal High School, Edinburgh. The book starts off with an emphasis on directing

attention to the speaking voice, and how different environmental aspects outside of choir time

affect the development of the singing voice. In the later chapters, specific notes and ranges are

provided for the changing voices. In the fifth chapter, the book explains how to classify boys in

to different voice parts; however, this section was rather confusing to understand. The conclusion

is a nice checklist/reminder for teachers to remember when teaching changing voices, which I

would personally use for my students.

 Chapter Headings

1. Hindrances to the Training of the Voice

2. The Voice at the Changing Period

3. Vocal Organs and Registers

 4. Training the Adolescent Voice

5. Classification of Voices

6. Songs

7. Breathing

8. Vocal Exercises

9. Consonants

10. Methods in Class

11. Conclusion

 Audience Most Benefitted

o Teachers who are struggling with voice changing boys

o Directors of boy’s choirs

 Useful Portions

o Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 11

Phillips, Kenneth H. (1992). Teaching Kids to Sing. New York: Schirmer Books.

 Call Number: MT935. P53

This book provides a developmental program of exercises and skills to help all students achieve

confident, accurate, and expressive singing. Founded on the principle that singing is a "learned"

skill and grounded in the latest physiological research, this book provides a step-by-step

methodology for energizing the body, breath, ear, voice, and song. This book was mentioned by

many music education professors as their “go-to” book for teaching voice to kids. It strategically

presents almost every aspect of teaching students how to sing. In regards to the topic, there is a

chapter regarding the adolescent voice, which would be very useful for.
 Chapter Headings

1. Vocal Pedagogy for Young Singers

2. The Psychomotor Process

3. Vocal Parameters

4. The Child and Adolescent Singer

5. The Healthy Voice

6. Vocal-Technique Curriculum

7. Respiration

8. Phonation

9. Resonant Tone Production

10. Diction

11. Expression

12. Vocal-Technique Summaries

 Audience Most Benefitted

o Apparently all choral directors should have this book (quote music education

professors)

 Useful Portions

o Chapter 4: The Adolescent Singer

o 1992 version: page 77

Sweet, Bridget (2015). The Adolescent Female Changing Voice: A Phenomenological

Investigation. Journal of Research in Music Education, 63(1), 70-88.

Abstract from the study:

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate the experience of female voice

change from the perspective of female middle and high school choral students. The study was

guided by two questions: How do adolescent female choir students experience voice change?

What is the essence of the experience of voice change for middle school and high school females

in choir? “Co-researchers” included two students in Grades 6 through 12 (14 students total) at

the Durham School of the Arts in Durham, North Carolina; the female singers demonstrated a

variety of voice change characteristics, from vocal breathiness to limited vocal range. Data

collected in November, January, and April included written responses to an open set of questions

that were discussed thoroughly during a corresponding interview. Analysis revealed three core

themes: (a) Phonation Experiences, (b) Emotional Experiences, and (c) Contexts of Singing. The

essence of the experience of female voice change was that vulnerability and fear of

embarrassment determined all use of the females’ singing voices, resulting in risk assessment for

each singing situation and setting.

 Audience Most Benefitted

o Music Educators in deep interest of the topic

Ward-Steinman, Patrice M. (2010, rev. 2018). Becoming a Choral Music Teacher: A Field

Experience Workbook. New York: Routledge.

 Call Number: MT930. M115

Becoming a Choral Music Teacher is a well-organized textbook for Choral Methods and

Materials class that Dr. Patrice Madura of our own music education faculty wrote. The book is

well-organized in the fact that it covers middle school materials before moving to high school

choral teaching, in order to understand the logical evolution and process of the adolescent voice

and person. In addition, this book covers the essentials of vocal development, audition process,

literature, rehearsal planning, classroom management, specialized ensembles, and practical

matters. In the chapters regarding changing middle school voices, it outlines general procedures

that should be taken to take care of these voices, and provides a very accessible visual of the

approximate ranges of an unchanged voice, changing tenor, changed tenor, changing baritone,

changing bass, and changed bass.

 Chapter Headings (2010 ver.)

1. The Choir Teacher as Comprehensive Musician

2. Middle School Singers: Changing Voices, Minds and Bodies

3. Auditions and Warm-Ups for Middle School Voices

4. Repertoire that Works for Middle School Voices

5. Rehearsal Planning for Middle School Choirs

6. High School Singers: Auditioning and Recruiting

7. Warm-Ups for High School Voices

8. Repertoire that Works for High School Voices

9. Effective High School Choral Music Teaching

 10. Vocal Jazz and Other Specialized Ensembles

11. Checklists for Practical Matters: Concerts, Festivals, Travel, Budgets, and Time

 Audience Most Benefitted

o Choral education college students

o Choral educators (both middle and high school)

o Private teachers (seeking for appropriate ranges and warm-ups for a certain age)

 Useful Portions

o Chapter 2 and 3 (2010 version)

o Page 27 (Middle school vocal ranges and tessituras)