Samuel Foxon

Introduction

‘The reason boys may not be singing is because something is wrong with the music teaching not the boys.’ (Ashley, 2015, p. 190)

The inclusion of boys in singing within the secondary music curriculum is an essential yet often overlooked aspect of music education, due to both the social pressures and the male vocal change during adolescence. These changes often render boys’ singing voice unpredictable and difficult to control, leading to heightened self-consciousness and, in some cases, feelings of inadequacy relative to their female peers (Ashley, 2010). The fear of being perceived as less competent than girls in this area is frequently underestimated (Jackson, 2003), making singing one of the most vulnerable domains for boys during this stage of their development (Willis and Kenny, 2008).

The Department for Education jointly released a policy paper in 2022 highlighting that singing should be a core part of secondary singing (DCMS et al., 2022). The paper asserted that teachers should be addressing the challenges that students face when singing during their early teenage years. However, the absence of any evaluation of this consideration in Ofsted’s 2023 music subject report, Striking the right note, represents a significant oversight, potentially indicative of a broader lack of emphasis on this area of educational research.

Ashley (2013) points out that while research into boys’ vocal development is highly regarded, there is little enthusiasm from practitioners themselves in applying the research in the educational setting. Arguably, the seminal work on the voice change is that of Cooksey, which describes the vocal change with great accuracy (Cooksey, 1977a; 1977b; 1977c; 1993; 2000). It is indicative of the lack of engagement with the research that the ‘voice break’ prevails in educational settings over Cooksey’s preferred term, ‘vocal change’. Ofsted noted this in the 2009 report, Making more of music, stating:  

‘Teachers… did not know how to engage boys in vocal work when their voices changed (they wrongly referred to them as breaking).’ (pp. 22–23)

In this article, evidence is presented that, despite the research, the secondary music curriculum largely does not effectively support boys in singing. Ultimately, the goal is to identify areas for improvement that can lead to a more inclusive and enriching musical experience for boys.

Singing in the secondary music classroom

Singing in secondary schools remains underdeveloped and fails to achieve its full potential within the music curriculum. The 2023 Ofsted report underscores a persistent issue in music education: the lack of continuity in singing instruction as students transition from primary to secondary school. The report highlights that the progress in singing achieved during primary education is not consistently sustained in secondary settings. The report commended the depth and quality of singing within the primary music curriculum as the strongest aspect but noted that such a curriculum was described as ‘rare’ in secondary education. This disconnect fails to build on the ‘strong progress and enjoyment’ that students experience during their primary years, representing a missed opportunity to sustain and enhance musical development (Ofsted, 2023). This finding reflects the critiques outlined in the 2009 Ofsted report, which highlighted the limited provision of meaningful singing opportunities in secondary schools. These observations emphasise a persistent gap in music education, where the successes achieved in primary education (namely Key Stages 1 and 2) are not effectively built upon in later stages (Ofsted, 2009).

Inclusion of boys in singing

Cooksey developed a model outlining the stages of vocal transformation during puberty. As the male voice matures, its pitch range lowers, narrows and eventually extends into a lower tessitura, driven by rapid laryngeal growth that often outpaces the singer’s ability to control it (Cooksey, 1977). The speed of this change leads to difficulties in pitching notes and blending with other voices, as the mastery over the physiological aspects is simply not there (Cooksey, 1977). Cooksey (2000) also posits that regular vocal training prior to puberty can enhance vocal-muscular conditioning, facilitating a smoother transition during these changes. Engaging in singing therefore allows boys to gain greater control over their changing voices, making it a valuable tool in supporting their pubescent development.

However, male disengagement from singing in secondary schools is a frequently observed phenomenon. Research by Harrison (2000) highlights that adolescent and pre-pubescent male singers often face homophobic bullying, which may contribute to this trend. Harrison’s study, involving 100 participants with varying levels of musical engagement, quantified the perceived masculinity and femininity of different instruments, revealing that singing was ranked as the third most feminine ‘instrument’. This apparent perception of singing leads to a low self-efficacy (Ashley, 2010), which drives low effort and persistence (Orton and Pitts, 2019). Two key points emerge here: firstly, boys lack inclusion in the curriculum, and secondly, this needs to meet their physiological, pedagogical and musical needs.

What inclusion looks like for singing boys

‘The questions raised about why so many teachers do not appear to confront the gendered situation facing boys’ singing and girls’ reception of it – lack of subject knowledge, low expectations of boys, lack of understanding of key gender issues in the classroom – are profound indeed.’ (Ashley, 2010, pp. 60–61)

Ashley provides a compelling connection between research into male singing and curriculum design, highlighting significant disparities between the independent and state sectors (Ashley, 2013). He observes that state-maintained schools seldom adopt established best practices in this area. Notably, the state schools in the study that achieved success in implementing singing programmes incorporated music curricula featuring repertoire suited to the vocal ranges of students in the earlier stages of vocal change.

In the 1960s, Irvin Cooper introduced radical concepts regarding the male vocal change, coining the term ‘cambiata’ – derived from the Italian cambiare (to change) – to describe changing voices. Central to Cooper’s research was the principle that music should be adapted to suit changing voices, rather than forcing these voices to conform to the existing music (Cooper and Wikstrom, 1962). Don Collins later built upon Cooper’s work, which eventually led to the establishment of the Cambiata Vocal Music Institute of America (CVIA) (Collins, 1982). The CVIA is now recognised as a global leader in music for changing voices, with prominent publishers like Oxford University Press (OUP) and Novello enriching the repertoire.

Moreover, music teachers in successful schools (as identified by Ashley) received support from senior leadership to facilitate single-sex singing opportunities during Key Stage 3. This approach reflects a ‘diamond’ model of music education, where boys sing separately from girls during their vocal transition (Ashley, 2015). While this may primarily occur within co-curricular music, it can also be implemented through strategic timetabling or seating arrangements. This provision allows for a more tailored and pedagogically sound response to the challenges of the changing voice. Much empirical research indicates that the diamond model is valuable in music education; however, its impact will be greatly diminished without also broadening teachers’ pedagogical knowledge (Ashley, 2010).

Support from senior leadership is arguably one of the most critical factors in the successful implementation of any inclusion strategy, and this extends to the teaching of singing. Ofsted (2013) observed that in approximately one-third of secondary schools, senior leaders operated under the assumption that music teachers, as subject specialists, required no additional subject-specific professional development. This oversight resulted in significant gaps in pedagogical knowledge, including teaching singing.

Conclusion

Boys need an inclusive music curriculum that acknowledges their changing adolescent voices. Curriculum leaders can achieve this by selecting a suitable repertoire (e.g. the Cambiata movement, with OUP and Novello’s Emerging Voices and Changing Voices series respectively) and adopting effective models such as the diamond model. A deeper understanding of vocal development enables realistic strategies to support boys through pitch accuracy and vocal blending challenges. It is hoped that this article will inspire teachers to explore the evolving male voice and the physiological changes of puberty. These changes significantly impact pitch accuracy and vocal blending. School leaders should invest in professional development to help music teachers to support boys in adapting to their changing voices. It is crucial to help boys to develop the skills needed to adapt to their changing vocal instrument, ensuring that the curriculum accommodates their needs.

References

• Ashley M (2010) Slappers who gouge your eyes: Vocal performance as exemplification of disturbing inertia in gender equality. Gender and Education 22(1): 47–62.
• Ashley M (2013) Broken voices or a broken curriculum? The impact of research on UK school choral practice with boys. British Journal of Music Education 30(3). DOI: 10.1017/S0265051713000090.
• Ashley M (2015) Singing in the Lower Secondary School, 1st ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Collins DL (1982) The Cambiata Concept – more than just about changing voices. The Choral Journal 23(4): 5–9.
• Cooksey JM (1977a) The development of a contemporary, eclectic theory for the training and cultivation of the junior high school male changing voice: Part I: Existing theories. The Choral Journal 18(2): 5–14.
• Cooksey JM (1977b) The development of a contemporary, eclectic theory for the training and cultivation of the junior high school male changing voice: Part II: Scientific and empirical findings: Some tentative solutions. The Choral Journal 18(3): 5–16.
• Cooksey JM (1977c) The development of a contemporary, eclectic theory for the training and cultivation of the junior high school male changing voice: Part III: Developing an integrated approach to the care and training of the junior high school male changing voice. The Choral Journal 18(4): 5–15.
• Cooksey JM (1993) Do adolescent voices ‘break’ or do they ‘transform’? Voice 2: 15–39.
• Cooksey JM (2000) Voice transformation in male adolescents. In: Thurman L and Welch G (ed) Bodymind and Voice: Foundations of Voice Education. Iowa City: The VoiceCare Network, pp. 718–738.
• Cooper I and Wikstrom TN (1962) Changing voices. Music Educators Journal 48(4): 148–151.
• Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Department for Education (DfE) and Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DDCMS) (2022) The power of music to change lives: A national plan for music education. Available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-power-of-music-to-change-lives-a-national-plan-for-music-education (accessed 13 March 2025).
• Harrison A (2000) Children’s gender-typed preferences for musical instruments: An intervention study. Psychology of Music 28: 81–97.
• Jackson C (2003) Motives for ‘laddishness’ at school: Fear of failure and fear of the ‘feminine’. British Educational Research Journal 29: 583–598.
• Willis EC and Kenny DT (2008) Effect of voice change on singing pitch accuracy in young male singers. Journal of Interdisciplinary Music Studies 2: 111–119.
• Ofsted (2009) Making more of music. Available at: https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/id/eprint/308/1/Making%20more%20of%20music.pdf (accessed 13 March 2025).
• Ofsted (2023) Striking the right note: The music subject report. Available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/subject-report-series-music/striking-the-right-note-the-music-subject-report (accessed 13 March 2025).
• Orton A and Pitts SE (2019) Adolescent perceptions of singing: Exploring gendered differences in musical confidence, identity and ambition. Music Education Research 21(1): 40–51.