COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — School choirs are trying the boys-only approach in Ohio middle schools to overcome adolescent peer pressure and cracking voices.
Choir director Jeff Rone with Westland High School near Columbus works with middle school boys twice a week and says those changing voices can be tricky.
Teachers told The Columbus Dispatch (bit.ly/SpjhJa) that choir directors often have to make the hard sell to attract middle-school boys by recruiting, creating boys-only choirs and bringing in male teachers to work with them.
The American Choral Directors Association says that's a big challenge because middle school boys often have athletes as male role models, not singers.
Studies have found that boys who sing before and during voice changes tend to have stronger vocal muscles and a greater voice range.
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Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com
