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Looking for a few good men

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A bit of it here:
 
Let’s all of us music leaders around the country do our part to get more and more boys and men singing. It’s only a recent US societal phenomena that playing or just being a couch-potato observer of highly competitive sports seems to have become an obsession in the minds of boys and men. Not that long ago singing was considered very manly, very virile. We need to get back to that viewpoint and refuse to give in to the idea that the only manly thing there is out there for boys and men to do are embracing sports where now only winning matters and succumbing to the mindset that winning at all costs in the business world is also an honorable thing. I actually get up on my soapbox at any of my guest conducting gags and talk about this- even if I’m in front of a women’s choir (I ask then to recruit the boys/men in their life into joining a choir). We can turn the tide if we all work together and talk about it! If we ignore this issue, we will not have male singers for our mixed choirs before long- we all have to work on this NOW for the sake of the future.
(Pictured is the Estonian Male Choir that I found here.)

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  1. Gentlemen,
     
    I am presently recruiting a male octet. This is not totally an end in itself, but toward a goal of at least 16 fine singers of male and female. It seems there are more women than men, judging by all the choirs I have heard and seen, who really care about the choral art. What with the admirable Barbershop choruses and the successful Gay Chorus recruitment of men singers, (not all of whom are necessarily Gay) male singers are not easy to find. It is great that so many are singing, but it still is difficult to have a balanced SATB choir.
     
    Richard Miller was the first person I ever heard who suggested that we call singers “Singing Athletes.” That may cut the mustard with some who consider singing a “precious” thing. On the other hand, some of the “rock” singers I have seen certainly are athletic, even to the extent that they jump around, running, screaming, aiming their guitar at young targets.
     
    A difficulty with the athletic avenue of convincing is that all of the muscles directly involved in singing are invisible. Some three hundred pounders have beautiful vocal apparatuses, which may belie the point.
     
    Yes, I remember family singing together before TV and the sports mania began taking valuable time. Every one in our family played an instrument and/or sang. And I remember my uncles, father and grandfathers participating.
    It was a “guy” thing. Where the guys are singing the ladies will be, don’t you think?!
     
    A fellow traveler,
     
    Ed Palmer
     
    PS. Nelson Eddy used to sing, “Give me some men who are stouthearted men,
                                                          Who will fight for the right they adore…”
           I say, “Give me some men who are stouthearted men who will fight for the right to be heard.”

  3. Dear Philip,
     
    Thanks for sharing my blog with folks. Btw, Paul Haley’s (Paul Halley?) music is cool- but, ya know, I’m Paul Carey :). Of course you have triplet six year olds– I only have one six year old, so I can easily imagine that you might be sleep-deprived pretty often and mistype a name, my friend!
     
    Thanks,
     
    PC
     

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