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The purpose of the study was to describe and interpret a particular culture of boys with changing voices at the American Boy choir School by means of an ethnography. Themes that emerged were (1) the boys' own perceptions of the voice change process, (2) healthy strategies for singing through the change, and (3) psychological issues. Informants were 27 students, 2 music directors, and 10 staff members. Data-collection techniques included interviews, observation, participant observation, and the examination of material culture. Analysis involved preparation of field notes and interview transcripts, document analysis, and study of the field notes and interviews. Evidence from the data, while supporting documented patterns of the male voice-change process, pointed to the uniqueness of each boy s experience. Boys were musically skilled, vocally knowledgeable, and benefitted from group vocal instruction in addition to choral rehearsals. Boys were taught how to use all available notes in their ranges safely. Instilling confidence and the “light approach” were two strategies used to assist boys negotiating the voice change.

The purpose of the study was to examine musical teaching and learning in an informal context in order to glean information and strategies that may be helpful to teachers and students in more formal settings. Through an ethnographic approach, the researcher examined the particular culture of the Gettin' Higher Choir (GHC) to gain a deep understanding of the GHC experience and examine the teaching and learning processes of this 300+-member organization. Data collection techniques consisted of observation, interviews and the examination of material culture. Analysis was ongoing throughout and following the fieldwork process. Themes which emerged included the following: who comes and why, the ethos of GHC, by-products of membership in the Gettin' Higher Choir, the teaching and learning process, and the outlier view. Implications for music education were suggested.

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