Misogyny and Masculinities: American Boys and Singing in an Age of Gender-Expansiveness

• In Event: Critical Perspectives in Music Education

Abstract

As conceptions of gender continue to evolve, many choral educators in the U.S. are questioning long-standing traditions. Conductor-teachers who lead U.S. “boychoirs” often posit that making singing masculine will help to recruit boys—relying on outdated notions of toxic masculinity. Drawing on feminist post-structuralist and critical trans theories, I argue for a theoretical reconceptualization in terms of how boychoirs are approached. Such a change would contribute to interrogating the discourses of U.S. “boychoirs” and “men’s choirs” regarding gender-inclusive practices and can provide a blueprint for choirs wanting to become more gender-inclusive. Furthermore, such work involves reconsidering the “missing males” issue, notions of boyhood, and traditional forms of masculinity which position boys as susceptible to toxic masculinity.

Author

• Joshua Palkki, Georgia Institute of Technology