Abstract
In choral ensembles, a pursuit where females far outnumber males, concern exists that females are being devalued. Attitudes of female choral singers may be negatively affected by the gender imbalance that exists in mixed choirs and by the placement of the mixed choir as the most select ensemble in a program. The purpose of this research was to determine student and choral educator perceptions of and attitudes toward treble clef choral ensembles.
Results support the existence of a stigma toward treble clef choirs as second-place ensembles. A majority of students who were surveyed and interviewed chose the mixed choir as their preferred ensemble in which to sing. Auditioned choir members saw the treble clef choir as being even less prestigious than did the non-auditioned choir members. Though almost all girls agreed that the competition for females to be members of mixed ensembles is far greater, well over half saw their male counterparts as musical equals. Choral educators and both male and female students agreed that a lack of focus and effort from males exists in the choral rehearsal. Still, no female subjects mentioned feeling ignored or taken for granted. No subjects felt as though choral educators placed higher expectations for behavior and performance on females.
Recommended Citation
Wilson, Jill M.
(2012)
"Preferences of and Attitudes Toward Treble Choral Ensembles,"
Research & Issues in Music Education: Vol. 10:
No.
1, Article 4.
Available at:
https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/rime/vol10/iss1/4