Range vs. Register: An Important Distinction in Choral Repertoire for the Adolescent Male

The purpose of this study is to determine appropriate choral literature for the adolescent male. Historically, scholars have focused on the lowering of the maturing male voice into the newly-formed chest register. During the change process, the male voice is unpredictable and can have a limited range. While a vast amount of repertoire for the adolescent male accommodates this downward progression and anticipates the narrow range, most adolescent boys are, in fact, capable of singing pitches above the chest register.Registers will be identified in this study. Discussion will pertain to registration shifts between chest register, head register, and falsetto in the adolescent male. I will investigate the use of the head register, which is a legitimate and vital component in healthy singing during adolescence. I will then compare registration to the historical knowledge of the male changing voice, which focuses mostly on the range and development of the newly-forming chest register.I will apply the concept of registration to choral repertoire taken from the 2005 and 2007 American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) national convention reading session packets. I will identify music that best and least facilitates the use and mixture of head-register and chest-register singing. Music for treble voices in various combinations (SA, SSA, SSAA, etc.) and three-part mixed music (SAB) will be examined. Each category presents a set of advantages and disadvantages for the adolescent male. Specific musical examples will illustrate the discussion. Careful repertoire selection with registration as a criterion is a key factor in unlocking male singing potential during adolescence. Although boys have unpredictable ranges, as it will be shown, registers are constant.

Name thesis:degree_name

D.M.A.

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Music

Grantor dc:publisher

The University of Arizona.

Year dc:date.issued

2010

Author dc:creator

• Brown, Charles Paul

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Chamberlain, Bruce
• Cockrell, Thomas
• Schauer, Elizabeth

• Adolescent Male Head Voice
• Adolescent Male Voice Registers
• Choral Repertoire for Adolescent Males
• Expanding Voice
• Male Changing Voice
• Range vs. Register

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10150/195313

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.arizona.edu:10150/195313