Lynne Gackle, Editor

Classifying Adolescent Male Voices

By Phillip Stockton

As a new semester begins, the ques- that the voice changed gradually and into six stages of pubertal hair devel- tion is often asked, “What is the most ef- that boys should continue to sing during opment. Swanson found that as boys fective method of classifying new voices the change. This would allow the boys to reached level three of Shuttleworth’s that have entered my classroom?” In the become accustomed to their changing stages, their voices began to change and case of adolescent singers, the question voices as they developed.2 With the at level six (the last stage), the voice was expands to, “What is the best way to gradual descent of the voice, McKenzie completely changed.5 determine if the male students in the felt that boys should sing the “alto” part Irvin Cooper was a leading research- choir are in the early, middle, or later of choral music until that range became er in the adolescent voice change in the stages of voice change?” By being aware too high for the boys to sing comfort- mid-twentieth century. Cooper had a of some of the historical study that has ably. Once this occurred, students should profound impact on music education been given to male adolescent voice sing the tenor part until they descended through discoveries he made through change, one can gain valuable insights to the baritone/bass part or stay as a empirical evidence throughout his and time-saving techniques to solve this “changed” tenor.3 career, fi rst as music supervisor in Mon- yearly dilemma. A differing view was developed by treal Protestant School District and later There have been many choral Frederick Swanson. Through empirical as professor of music at The Florida educators that have investigated male evidence, Swanson was convinced that State University. At FSU, he taught John adolescent voice change. Some of the the male voice changed rapidly. Boys Cooksey and Don Collins, who both most prominent leaders in this area are often added notes from the bottom studied and wrote extensively about Duncan McKenzie, Frederick Swanson, of the range to the top of the range male adolescent voice change. Irvin Cooper, John Cooksey, Henry Leck, until the pitch gap between the chest Cooper divided the voice-change Terry Barham, and Sally Herman. Dun- voice and falsetto was complete. This process into three groups: unchanged can McKenzie was one of the earliest discovery was drastically different than voice, cambiata (from cambiata nota, researchers of male adolescent voice those observed by previous as well which means “changing note”), and change and developed the “alto-tenor” as more recent researchers. Perhaps changed voice.6 He discovered that plan that was adopted by music educa- Swanson’s greatest contribution to the boys’ voices changed gradually and that tors in the United States.1 He believed voice change knowledge was the recog- by singing through the voice change, nition of the relationship between voice boys could be successful in the choral change and the onset of puberty. He ensemble. The foundational principle used Shuttleworth’s Pictorial Analysis of of the cambiata concept was to “make Phillip Stockton pubertal development4 to relate stages the music match the boy, not the boy Director of Choral Activities of the voice change to stages of pubertal match the music.”7 In order for proper and Music Education hair growth. Swanson was given the en- music to be selected and performed, the Mississippi University for Women tire male eighth-grade class to conduct boys must be classifi ed into the proper [email protected] his experiment. With help from the gym stage of the voice change. Cooper often teacher and parents, boys were classifi ed said that voices should not be classifi ed

CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 55 Number 3 85 individually but rather as a group. This Chorus and associate professor and alto, tenor, or baritone part to fi t the reduced error and allowed the teacher director of choral activities at Butler accessible range. This keeps boys singing to classify many voices at a time.8 University. Leck disagrees with previous during this tumultuous time.14 John Cooksey developed an “eclec- researchers on how to have boys sing In 2001, Terry Barham published a tic” theory regarding male adolescent during the voice change. He suggests collection of interviews of successful voice change.9 He used information that boys should continue to sing in middle school teachers from the central from previous researchers (McKenzie, the upper range, often referred to as United States. The purpose of this study Swanson, and Cooper) and further falsetto, until the voice has completely was to provide teachers with successful developed their ideas. Cooksey, like Ir- changed. This allows the boys to de- procedures when teaching junior high vin Cooper and Duncan McKenzie, felt velop the lower range while continuing and middle school adolescent boys. that the voice changed gradually and to maintain the boy soprano register.12 Barham discusses voice testing, ranges, that it was good practice to encourage Leck feels that disregarding the “falsetto recruiting tactics, vocalises, literature boys to sing during this transformative register” is detrimental to voice devel- selection, and performance tips for time.10 Cooksey developed a theory opment. teachers of adolescents.15 Many of the of fi ve stages of voice change instead Another choral educator who shares teachers when discussing voice clas- of the three identifi ed by McKenzie many of Leck’s opinions is Sally Herman. sifi cation used the boys speaking funda- and Cooper. These stages were: stage Herman feels that is imperative to devel- mental as the starting point. From here, 1 (boy soprano); stage 2 (midvoice I op the voice from the top of the range a wide array of methods are used to or alto); stage 3 (midvoice II and IIA to the bottom. This allows changing classify boys into their respective singing or cambiata); stage 4 (new baritone); boys to access their “new voice” from part.16 Most teachers in Barham’s study and stage 5 (settled voice).11 Cooksey a familiar place and will ease anxiety in use four or fi ve categories when clas- developed a group classifi cation process singing.13 Herman has boys sing in the sifying changing voices.17 Regardless of that was similar to that of Irvin Cooper. falsetto range, often starting on E5 and how many divisions a teacher uses when These two methods of classifi cation will descending through the break. She also classifying adolescent voices, it is impera- be described later. encourages teachers to rewrite music tive that the voices be classifi ed correctly A more recent expert in adolescent or employ “voice pivoting” to allow and is more benefi cial that the process voice change is Henry Leck, founder and boys to sing who have a limited range. is done quickly. Irvin Cooper, founder conductor of the Indianapolis Children’s Voice pivoting allows them to sing the of the cambiata concept, developed a fast and easy classifi cation process for changing voices: To begin the procedure, the boys were lined up and asked to sing a famil- iar song (“My Old Kentucky Home,”18 “Way Down Upon the Suwannee River,”19 or “Jingle Bells”20). For the sing- ing of “Jingle Bells,” Cooper would have the boys sing in D major. As they were singing, he would walk around the boys and tap those that were singing in the lower octave (starting on F#3). These boys were seated and were labeled as “baritones.”21 Those who remained sang again, this time in the key of A fl at major. As he listened to the boys sing, those who were singing in the upper octave (beginning on C4–C5) were tapped and asked to sit. These voices were identifi ed as unchanged voices.

86 CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 55 Number 3 The remaining singers were labeled as and afterward, ask them to stand Ages Eight to Eighteen (Cedar Rapids, IA: cambiata, or changing voices, and were together and sing the song through Igram Press), 69. again. Listen again. Some midvoice seated in their own section. By using a 6 Irvin Cooper and Karl O. Kursteiner, Teach- IIA’s will sing pitches just above C3, ing Junior High School Music (Boston, MA: process of elimination to classify the so these boys may be assigned to boys, the elusive cambiata voice was not a baritone part…When in doubt, Allyn and Bacon Inc., 1965). 22 7 lost. This means of classifying is perhaps check their ranges.25 Don Collins, interview by author, October one of the most important and useful 3, 2012. 8 aspects of the cambiata concept. Cooper and Kursteiner, 30. While the ideas of Cooksey are slightly 9 Cooper did not classify girls’ voices different from Cooper’s, especially in John M. Cooksey, “The Development of a as soprano or alto but rather as “blue number of stages of the voice change, Contemporary, Eclectic Theory for the Training and Cultivation of the Junior and green,” or any other nomenclature it is reasonable to assume that Cooksey High School Male Changing Voice: Part that the teacher desired, such as school was greatly infl uenced by Cooper’s phi- I Existing Theories,” Choral Journal 18, no. colors. Cooper was the only early re- losophy and methodology of working 2 (Oct. 1977): 5–13. searcher that discussed classifi cation of and classifying changing voices. 10 Cooksey, “The Development of a girls’ voices during the pubertal develop- By using this group procedure, Contemporary, Eclectic Theory for the ment. In a mixed choir setting, he placed teachers can save time and avoid the Training and Cultivation of the Junior the girls in the back of the ensemble, the possibility of embarrassing situations High School Male Changing Voice: Part III baritones on the left of the conductor, when classifying changing voices. As Developing an Integrated Approach to the cambiata voices in the middle, and demonstrated by Cooksey, Cooper’s the Care and Training of the Junior High the unchanged voices on the right up- classification process can be easily Male Changing Voice,” Choral Journal 18, per row in front of the girls. This allowed adapted to classify voices into more than no. 4 (Dec. 1977): 5–15. the cambiata voices to “fl oat” with the three divisions. By using this classifi cation 11 Ibid., 6. baritones and unchanged voices if nec- method, students can immediately be 12 Henry Leck, “On the Voice-The Boy’s essary. At this point, he suggested singing placed in the correct section for their Expanding Voice: Take the High Road,” a song in four-part harmony to get the individual voice, even though their voice Choral Journal 49, no. 11 (May 2009): students singing and instantly engaged in classifi cation will probably change dur- 50–51. the music-making process. He suggested ing the course of the several months. 13 Sally Herman, Building a Pyramid of the song should be taught by rote as a Because this classifi cation method takes Musicianship (Curtis Music Press, 1988): means to get the students singing quickly, very little time from the rehearsal, it can 95–96. 14 especially at the beginning of the year. be used throughout the year to relisten Ibid., 91. 15 An arrangement of “Santa Lucia” is a and reassign voice parts to students as Terry J. Barham, Strategies for Teaching Junior recurring song in his method books.23 their voices continue to change. Try it High and Middle School Male Singers Cooper used this method to classify this year and decide for yourself! (Santa Barbara, CA: Santa Barbara Music Publishing, 2001). over 600,000 adolescent boys during 16 his career. Ibid., 3–5. 17 Ibid., 20–25. A similar procedure was later devel- NOTES 18 oped John Cooksey. His fi ndings differed Irvin Cooper, Changing Voices in Junior High: Letters to Pat (New York: Carl Fisher, slightly from Cooper, but many of his 1 Duncan McKenzie, Training the Boy’s 1953): 19. techniques were similar to the cambiata Changing Voice (New Jersey: Rutgers 19 Cooper and Kursteiner, Teaching Junior High concept. In his book Working with the University Press, 1956). School Music, 31. 24 2 Ibid. Adolescent Voice, Cooksey describes a 20 Ibid., 32. 3 Ibid. similar classifi cation procedure. 21 Ibid. 4 Frank K. Shuttleworth, “The Adolescent 22 Ibid., 32–33. Period: A Graphic and Pictorial Atlas,” Ask the boys to sing “America” as 23 Ibid., 39–42. a group in the key of C. Listen for Monographs of the Society for Research 24 John M. Cooksey, Working the Adolescent voices singing in the octave below in Child Development 3, no. 3 (1938): Voice (St. Louis, MO: Concordia C4. As you walk around, touch 1–246. the shoulders of the boys who 5 Publishing House, 1992): 24–27. Frederick Swanson, The Male Singing Voice 25 are singing in the lower octave, Ibid., 17.

CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 55 Number 3 87