Male high school students’ perceptions of choral singing

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate male high school students’ perceptions of choral singing. Focus was maintained on three categories of students: choir students, ex-choir students, and never-enrolled students. Data included individual interviews with eleven male high school students from the three aforementioned categories. Four themes emerged through phenomenological reduction: Clan Association, Motivation, Gender Norms, and Casual Singing. Analysis of the data revealed that males tended to perceive choir as an activity more suited for girls. Students with ensemble experiences viewed singing mostly as a learned skill, whereas students without ensemble experience associated singing more with innate ability. Analysis also revealed a disconnect between student perceptions of singing: as either a performance-based activity, or a participatory activity. The essence of this study was that male high school students’ perceptions of choral singing are disconnected from their perceptions of casual singing. Regardless of prior musical experiences, self-perceived abilities, social influences, or perceptions of choral singing, high school males are predisposed to sing given the right circumstances.