Posted on 06/20/2005 4:41:42 AM PDT by Jalapeno
June 20, 2005, 12:09AM
Associated Press
Mikhael Rawls sits in his music room at his home in
Bedford. The Texas Music Association has denied his
application to sing soprano in the All-State Choir
because of his gender.
BEDFORD — Singing soprano is for girls only in Texas' All-State Choir, eliminating a 17-year-old boy's chance to audition for a statewide honor and raising questions about gender and vocal performance.
The Texas Music Educators Association denied a petition by Mikhael Rawls of suburban Fort Worth to audition this fall for the elite ensemble as a soprano, a part traditionally sung by girls.
Rawls sings countertenor, a little known male voice part that has surged in popularity in classical and operatic circles in the past decade. He can sing an octave and a half higher than most boys his age, and he feels most comfortable singing in that range. He has even won first place as a soprano in the University Interscholastic League's competition two years in a row.
The association, however, does not allow boys to sing soprano, or alto or girls to sing tenor or bass. Association spokeswoman Amy Lear said the group adopted the rule two years ago because of concerns that girls auditioning for tenor parts were hurting their voices by singing too low.
"If you make a rule one way it has to work both ways," Lear said, adding that the association does not hold auditions specifically for countertenors because the part is rarely included in the group's music.
Neither Lear nor TMEA president Kerry Taylor could think of another male who ever wanted to audition for a traditional girl's part on the All-State Choir.
The countertenor was a popular part in the 17th and 18th centuries, when women were excluded from singing groups, but it was rarely heard of in modern times until an English singer named Alfred Deller revived it about 60 years ago. Today men can be found singing that part in music schools across the country.
"It seems to me that it's time for the association to sort of wake up and see what's happening around not only the United States of America but Europe," renowned countertenor David Daniels said in a telephone interview from London, where he is performing this summer in Mozart's "Mitridate" at the Royal Opera House.
Rawls, who will be a senior in high school this fall, has been singing since he was in the sixth grade. He can sing the lower parts, but it makes his throat hurt. He's worried it also could hinder his ability to hit higher notes later.
"I could do the music just fine and I could sound good on it. But I couldn't practice it enough to where I could make state, because I was too worried about my countertenor voice and the effects it would have on it," said Rawls, who's the only male in his school's female a capella choir.
Taylor, the TMEA president, said he's seen no medical evidence that singing tenor or bass can hurt a countertenor's voice. But Timothy Maguire, a professional countertenor and male soprano from San Francisco, said his doctor gave him strict instructions not to sing that way because it could cause polyps to form on his vocal chords.
Maguire said he's disappointed with the Texas association's decision, especially because a similar group in Illinois let him sing alto and soprano parts at state choir when he was in high school.
"This is an education association that is supposed to be fostering and developing young singers," said Maguire, who wrote a letter to the Texas group urging them to approve Rawls' petition. "Keeping someone from singing what is essentially natural to them is not fostering them."
Participating in All-State Choir is one of the highest honors available for Texas high school singers. Of the more than 20,000 students who audition, just over 500 students are selected to participate in one of three choirs — a men's choir, a women's choir and a mixed ensemble.
Music schools often look for All-State Choir on applicants' resumes, Rawls said, and many recruiters attend the concerts each February. After graduating high school, Rawls hopes to enroll in a dual program with the New England Conservatory and Harvard University to get a joint degree in vocal performance and some liberal arts subject.
Rawls said he plans to focus now on preparing for his college auditions, but he hopes the state association reconsiders its decision.
"It's really for music and for other people that I'm doing this, it's not really just for myself," Rawls said. "I think it's important that these doors can be opened for other boys in my position."
Might be the case that he's got undescended testicles. It's uncommon, but far from rare. I knew a guy with a really high voice in high school. Friend of a friend of mine. Turns out, years later, he had undescended testicles (a problem which I'm told later solved itself, but later than normal).
If he's that good, you might as well let him. Though it is kinda funny to hear a guy sing soprano.
"This is unfair. The young man should be allowed to sing..."
Come-on, it's for girls. He should join another choir where he would be welcome or start a choir for boys.
What is next for this young man? Maybe he can sue his way onto the girls volleyball team.
Holtz
JeffersonRepublic.com
I had to figure out what this kind of music sounds like:
http://www.jan-billington.com/christofellis/
I hope he DOES sue to get in. Payback is a bitch, or in this case, at least it sounds like it.
-- quote from another account --
Michelle Rawls, Mikhael's mother, said several attorneys have contacted her about filing a lawsuit against the association, but her family doesn't want to take legal action.
"We just don't think that would be the right thing to do," she said.
Every liberal I ever have a discussion with starts thier arguments off with that same phrase.
Pray tell, what is unfair about it? The fact that he has to abide by the rules or that the rules weren't changed for him?
I write as the mother of a girl (now woman with Master's Degree in Music) who was a Soprano in the Texas All State Choir when she was in high school in 1976-78. Members of choral groups are chosen by their voices. If his voice fits and he knows the music then he is as qualified as anyone else.
Plenty of women have sung Tenor over the years. In fact, your local church choir probably has a few because women seem to enjoy choir more than men. Historically, plenty of men sang Soprano because the entertainment profession was not considered suitable for young ladies.
Many of the old operas and choral pieces were written for males. True, most of the male singers were castrati, but not all of them. It's not his gender that matters, it's his voice and how the director thinks it blends with the other voices. If his voice can't cut the mustard, then he's out. But if he has the voice, musical technique, knowledge, then he deserves a chance just like anyone else. Male sopranos have a quality to their voices that is simply beautiful and adds a special richness to the choral sound.
Wow! Fort Bend County has a Boychoir now? How wonderful! They did not have any such program when I lived there. My daughter WAS a member of the Texas All State Choir (which I think was a mixed chorus) for 2 years in High School -- Dulles HS in Ft. Bend County. Her picture used to hang on the choir room wall along with the only boy from her school who ever made the All State Choir up to that time.(she was the first girl from Dulles High to make the cut.)
I had the memorable experience of hosting 2 of the boys from the Land of Lakes Choir (Minnesota) in my home 2 years ago when they were on tour. It's a wonderful program that encompasses far more than just music. They are building great kids. I just wish they would come by this way again. I'd open my home in a NY minute!
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