Page 58 - CJMay25

IJRCS Volume 12 Abstracts (Published in 2024)

to demystify and empower transgender singers, though Embodying the Music: A Survey of Choral
there is still much to learn in this area. Common inclu- Music Educators on Conducting Injury and
sive approaches for diverse gender identities emerged Wellness Techniques
from the literature. These include gender inclusive lan- Ryan W. Sullivan, Colleen McNickle,
guage, a welcoming environment and supportive men- Brianne Wehner, and Stephanie Li
tors, considered and contextualized repertoire choices, Volume 12, pages 43-67
and whole group vocal pedagogy sensitive to individ-
ual needs. Future research is recommended to investi- The purpose of this exploratory study was to iden-
gate the evolving relationship of contemporary gender tify the most common choral conducting-related inju-
identities with other components of the self, how mul- ries, and determine the ways conductors completing
tiple gender identities can be supported and positively the survey have adapted their physical gesture to ac-
co-exist, and the possible contributions of choral music commodate or avoid pain and discomfort. Utilizing a
education to gender identity development in a greater researcher-designed online survey, we asked choral mu-
range of contexts, cultures, and traditions. sic educators to identify and describe musculoskeletal
and vocal injuries sustained throughout their careers,
and the effects of these injuries on their conducting
Women Conductors of College Men’s Choirs – and teaching practices. Results from respondents (N =
Redefining the “Brotherhood” 75) indicated a high prevalence of upper-body repeti-
Meg Stohlmann tive stress injuries amongst participants caused by class-
Volume 12, pages 23-42 room ergonomics, misuse and overuse, poor technique,
and tension. In response to their injury or injuries,
Collegiate men’s choirs have unique and storied tra- participants reported altering alignment, change of
ditions dating back to the Civil War and the founding of technique, rest, and avoidance. Preventative responses
many prominent colleges in the United States (Albinder included classroom modifications and therapy and/or
& Jones, 2008). Historically, these ensembles created a treatment. We discussed the workplace culture of the
place for fraternity, brotherhood, and social outlets for typical American choir conductor, the state of wellness
young men (Jones, 2010). Consequently, there are few education in pre-service teacher training, and consider-
documented instances of women conducting collegiate ations for future research. Such findings could help in-
men’s choirs (VanWeelden, 2003). The purpose of this form conductors, teachers of conducting, and medical
study was to explore the experiences of women conduc- providers to understand more about injury prevention
tors of college men’s choirs. This research was guided and management for conductors.
by the following questions: 1. How did women choral
conductors describe their motivations for working with
college men’s choirs? 2. How did these conductors de- Scoping the Literature of Transgender Singing:
scribe the rehearsal environment in their college men’s Experiences and Pedagogical Insights in
choir? 3. And finally, how did these conductors define Choral Contexts
the challenges of working with male singers? The fol- Naomi Cooper, Nadine Manion, and Scott Harrison
lowing areas provided focus for themes that emerged Volume 12, pages 68-87
from the conductor interviews: their motivations, the
rehearsal environment, and the challenges associated Choral conductors have expressed interest in work-
with a lack of opportunity and quality literature. ing with transgender singers more effectively, howev-
er, opportunities for professional development and
resources in this area have been limited. This article re-
ports a scoping review designed to explore the experi-

56 CHORAL JOURNAL May 2025 Volume 65 Number 8