- Title
- Adolescent girls' changing voices: re-thinking classification
- Creator
- van Gend, Marie; Matthias, Philip; Scott, Nathan; Allan, Christopher
- Relation
- Australian Voice Vol. 18, p. 1-13
- Publisher
- Australian Academic Press
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2017
- Description
- Creating balanced parts in a mixed voice high school choir of un-auditioned students is complicated by voices that are in a constant process of change. The usual SATB model limits options and may result in girls self classifying permanently as alto or soprano, with potential long-term disadvantage to both their musical and vocal development. In this case study of 41 girls (35 untrained and 6 trained) from an un-auditioned mixed-voice Australian high school choir, we analysed individual vocal parameters and compared the results with their current (self-selected) classification in their choir. Those untrained girls who self classified as alto demonstrated no significant difference in any measured parameter to those self-classified as soprano, indicating that the classification had occurred without evidence. Those with trained voices had significantly higher upper and lower ranges and tessitura than the untrained voices. Trained girls all self-classified into the soprano line. The results of this case study suggest that classification of untrained adolescent girls' voices should be avoided, as there is little difference across a cohort. We concluded that adolescent girls should be encouraged to move regularly between soprano and alto lines to develop their full range and musicianship. The ideal model for adolescent repertoire would have two treble lines of equal range.
- Subject
- adolescent girls' voices; mixed-voice choir
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1385593
- Identifier
- uon:32255
- Identifier
- ISSN:1325-1317
- Language
- eng
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