Appropriate Balance for MS Choir
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nafmeadmin.
nafmeadminWhat do you view to be the ideal balance between boys and girls in a MS choral ensemble?
I’ve always tried for about 2/3 girls and 1/3 boys, to allow for singing in 3 parts (part 1, part 2, and guys), but often we manage more boys than that. We have a large group (about 250 total students), so the total number of boys is usually between 90 and 110. Since choir is a rostered program during the day, not an after-school club, we’re getting a lot of pushback from administration because they view the ideal balance to be an equal number of boys and girls. I’ve been trying to explain that having as many boys as we do is really a miracle, since middle school boys are very hard to recruit and motivate in choral music. Also, a choir that is 50% boys creates some balance issues.
So, to return to my original question – what do you think the ideal balance is for a MS choir? I need some other opinions before the next round in this particular battle.
Thanks so much for your help –
Elizabeth
Christopher M. Johnson, Professor of Music Education and Music Therapy, is currently the Chair of the Music Education and Music Therapy Department and Director of the Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas. Johnson earned his Ph.D. from the Florida State University.
Since his arrival at The University of Kansas, Johnson has taught courses in Instrumental Conducting, Teaching Instrumental Music, Managing Behaviors in the Music Environment, Psychology and Acoustics of Music, and Research Methods in Music Education and Music Therapy. Johnson served two terms as the editor of the International Journal of Music Education: Research, the research publication of the International Society for Music Education. He is currently serving his second term on the National Association for Music Educations Executive Committee of the Society for Research in Music Education. He also served on the editorial board of the Journal of Research in Music Education, and one earlier term as the Chair for the MENC Executive Committee of the Society for Research in Music Education. Johnson also served as the Chair for the Research Commission of the International Society for Music Education.
Johnson’s research interests include applied research in music education, and basic research in all aspects of the psychology of music. He has published articles in many journals including the Journal of Research in Music Education, the International Journal of Music Education, the Journal of Music Therapy, Journal of Band Research, Contributions to Music Education, and the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, among others. Johnson has also been an active member and contributor to the Research Seminar of the International Society for Music Education and World Alliance for Arts Education.
Johnson received a university teaching award – the Ned N. Fleming Award for Excellence in Teaching and received the recognition for Graduate Teaching Achievement from the Center for Teaching Excellence. Johnson was also awarded a lecturing & research award as a J. William Fulbright Scholar and recently received the Ella Scoble Opperman Citation for Distinguished Achievement from the Florida State University College of Music.
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