Assigned Voice Type and Self-Esteem in First-Year Collegiate Treble Singers

Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between voice type assigned during the formative, pre-collegiate years of a treble singer’s growth and the self-esteem of the singers. This study aims to assist voice teachers and choir directors by providing pedagogical insight as to how vocal classification affects the artistic growth of their young students, specifically those that experience estrogen-dominant puberty. Building upon existing research on the adolescent voice conducted by scholars such as Lynne Gackle, this project specifically examines the emotions and sense of self attached to the assigned voice type in their early training and the potential impacts to their current lives. Through the use of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and other questions related to the participants’ experiences in their pre-collegiate vocal training, the research aims to answer the following questions: Is there a relationship between assigned voice type and a singer’s sense of self-image? Is there a relationship between a singer’s performance range and their sense of self-image? Are there shared experiences amongst those who scored similarly on the RSES?

Methods/Design: The survey study utilizes Morris Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale (1965), which provides ten statements regarding self-esteem (five positively and five negatively valenced) related to participants’ experiences as singers and performers. Participants also had the option to sign up for a follow-up interview during which they could expand on their survey responses. The singers studied were treble (estrogen-dominant) singers in the first-year cohorts of BM Voice Performance and BFA Musical Theatre degree programs at a conservatory of music.

Results/Conclusion: Data collection and analysis is ongoing.