Building Culture and Community in Gender-Specific Choral Ensembles: A Comparison of Pedagogy, Language, Musical and Personal Development

Thesis (D.M.A.)--University of Washington, 2018University of Washington Abstract Building Culture and Community in Gender-Specific Choral Ensembles: A Comparison of Pedagogy, Language, Musical and Personal Development Laurie Sue Cappello Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Dr. Geoffrey Boers, Director of Choral Activities School of Music Conductors agree that each choral ensemble has a unique “personality,” that is, an energy and atmosphere in the rehearsal room, which affects greatly the rehearsal process, and methodology used. This is especially true in gender-specific choirs. Gender-specific choirs have long been an important building block in any choral curriculum. Working with gender-specific choirs, while often a challenge for teachers, offers a unique opportunity to explore pedagogy and allows the teacher to develop a variety of teaching styles and techniques best suited for each type of ensemble. How the public-school music educator approaches these gender-specific choirs, chooses repertoire, creates team building activities, and fosters relationships between these students, can make a significant difference in the musical and personal development of the students. As such, this study will venture beyond study of specific rehearsal pedagogy into the areas of nurturing and development of student attitudes. By far the majority of choral resources dedicated to rehearsal technique are focused toward a mixed choir ensemble, that is, SATB. Given compelling anecdotal evidence that indeed rehearsal pedagogy varies distinctly between mixed and gender-specific ensembles, this study will add much needed research and methodology in the area of teaching for gender-specific choirs in public schools. To be fair, there are numerous writings which focus on various types of choirs in private youth choral organizations. Given that private organizations tend to reflect a different demographic than public schools, the challenges of teaching in that situation are quite different for numerous reasons. Therefore, I decided to focus this study on public-school settings. This study will focus on four master teachers who excel in teaching both mixed and gender-specific choirs. Through interview and video observation of the teacher, (and choir in the case of rehearsal footage), I will compile lists of teaching methodology, music skills acquisition, and interpersonal development. More importantly, I will define foundational pillars that clearly earmark differences between the ensemble that can lead to the development of future resources