Repertoire and Standards - Boychoirs
I consider it a privilege to make music with boys. It's much more than a profession - it's a vocation. And so I'm honored to be the ACDA-PA Repertoire & Standards chair for Boychoirs.
In most endeavors in our society, there is a bias that favors males. (Medicine, law, science, math, politics, the business world, etc...) The exact opposite is true in the arts. Although we've come a long way, we as a society still send a message to boys that singing is for girls. Young men get the implicit and sometimes explicit message that if you like to sing, you are less masculine than boys who like to play sports. The “sissy” label, and other variations are alive and well in our schools and neighborhoods and sometimes even in our homes.
A boychoir is the antidote to this sad phenomenon. When a boy sings great, well-performed music with other boys , it IS the first string basketball team, the champion football team, and the traveling baseball team all rolled into one. The boychoir experience is one-hundred percent “male” -- that boundless enthusiasm that is (for the most part!) channeled in such a way that allows the boys to make wonderful music and touch their audiences in a very special way. Their singing says clearly that boys can be “manly” and at the same time be emotionally expressive.
More importantly, there is a fraternal bond that boys enjoy when they sing together that is essential to their emotional development. The sense of achievement that comes with singing in a boychoir builds up their self-esteem in a way that allows them to not be bothered by ignorant remarks and narrow-minded thinking. They know they're part of something extraordinary and it gives them a confidence that they will carry with them throughout their lives.
Boys need to learn early on that they can be creative and be masculine at the same time. Why? Because it will make them better young men, sons, brothers, spouses, fathers, co-workers. It also makes for a better society. Think about crime. Who commits most crime? Who commits most violent crimes? Males do. Not to say that any of our boys would have ended up criminals if they hadn't sung in a boychoir. But the truth of the matter is, boys have an energy -- otherwise known as testosterone -- that must and can be channeled in positive ways. A boychoir does exactly that, and does it better than any other activity out there. Viva Boychoirs!
Please don't hesitate to be in touch with me if I can be helpful in any way. (smfksb@yahoo.com)
