To think it's unfair there is only a boys choir (that doesn't involve an audition? at DD's school?

[usernameannon]

I'm actually a bit annoyed to be honest. My daughter is 11 and tried out for the choir at her secondary school, unfortunately she didn't get a place after an audition. However there's a boys only year 7 choir that doesn't require an audition you can just go along. She's pretty upset she doesn't get to sing "because she isn't good enough". Bit unreasonable I think

Well there must not be that many boys wanting to be in the choir, or it would be too large.

Not really as boys participation in performing arts does go down the older they get in the same way that girls participation in sports does. I'm sorry she didn't get into the main choir but maybe she could ask the music teacher of there is any possibility of running a singing club for all without audition

Not really. If they were trying to I prove the uptake of boys taking up performing arts etc then it's a good thing isn't it.

Same way you might expect a boy to have to try out for the rugby team but if there weren't many girls then you'd let them play to start gaining the interest

It does seem unfair, but this is how it is with performing arts, especially choral singing. They are trying to encourage boys as otherwise the won’t get any - therefore boys only (it’s not a ‘girly’ thing) and no audition to put them off. They.l have no problem getting loads of girls.
However, I do think schools should have at least one audition free choir for all. I’m involved with school music and my school has a choir for anyone who want to take part,a choir for better singers to harder stuff (no audition x it’s by invitation or reauest of the student who then would get a trial) and an elite group by invitation only. They are very, very good and mostly sixth formers.

Yes it’s unfair. There should be equal access to the choir. Either everyone has an audition or nobody does and if there’s a boys only choir then there should be a girls only choir also.

No, not unfair. Similar to having a mixed football team + a girl team.

When I was at college, there were vastly more male than female students, so men had to audition for the choir and women didn't.

I think it's a shame if there is no group at all for her. Are all the singing groups by audition only?

I am fine with single-sex rules for activities where there is a tendency for the activity to become overwhelmingly participated in by the other sex. Having a boys'-only choir means you will get boys singing. If you only have mixed-sex choirs, the reality is that it will be mostly girls there, boys will soon start to see it as a girls' activity and be less inclined to join, vicious circle.

It's not the same as that. The same would be a boys only choir that needs an audition or the mixed choir not needing an audition. She loves to sing and I think it's sad there's no where for her to go.

Well if the choir has the desired effect and they end up with more boys applying then spaces they they will start auditioning won't they.

With the mixed choir she is being treated just like anyone else would be. If you aren't good enough you don't get in. And should attendance drop they will probably do the same thing. Let anyone in.

She should identify as a boy. Job done.

What did the school say when you suggested a girls non audition choir?

Oh ffs. Where will this stop.

Yabvu

Find an alternative.

Like others, I can see how this would have happened. It's vanishingly hard to get boys to sing at secondary school; it's not 'cool' and a boys only choir (who can position themselves differently to the main choir) is a good way to do encourage boys to turn up. No audition likely to be necessary as they'll never get more people than they need, and the last thing they'll want to do is make any feel they might be turned away. Like the drama soc probably has more competition for the female parts. And the women's rugby team may well have a lower threshold than the men's.

However, if they are getting lots of girls who they don't have space for, I'd be pushing for a non-audition choir to be added (either for girls or mixed sex. The latter might well end up being girls only, as they are probably desperate for any boys who'll sing to go into the auditioned mixed choir.

Both my dc sing in choirs external to school - which hugely struggle to attract enough boys to sing the pieces they want to sing. My ds won't join the (non-auditioned) school choir because there are only 2 boys in the entire choir.

Yes YABU. Ds1 (Y8) is one of 3 boys in his secondary school choir and Ds2 is one of 5 (out of 45) in his primary choir. Its not cool for boys to sing.

Our city has just started a boys only choir after its youth choir had been girls only (by default) for 3 years. It's no different from schools having girls only code clubs or science clubs (our school has both) to encourage participation.

Actually it can be just as hard to get teenage girls (who don’t have access to lessons etc) to song. Between the ages of 12-14 girls voices change too but it doesn’t get the attention & allowances made that boys voices breaking do. As girls vocal golds develop they can lose range & their singing become breathy & unstable so many end up thinking they are rubbish & never go back to it. I’ve seen it happen time & time again.

A school choir should be inclusive and open to anyone who wants to turn up with an auditioned chamber choir if the school wants a selective ensemble.

I’m an advocate of boys only singing groups too but it’s wrong if girls are not given the same opportunities.

It isnt unfair 🤷‍♀️

Recently a lady posted that her son was upset he couldnt join the girls netball team.as it was a sport he enjoyed. And that was the only team. That wasnt unfair either.

Sometimes life just isnt that fair. 🤷‍♀️

If she really wants to join a choir look at some outside of school, there are loads of them.

I’d say it was unfair in the same way as it was unfair that my Ds couldn’t opt for Dance in Year 9 PE like the girls could even though he wanted to take it for Btec in Year 10/11.

Alexander that sounds genuinely unfair. Why couldn’t he? I can’t think of any form of dance which is only for girls/women.
Also, while individual girls might give up, there will always be enough for choir. Too many if you want a balance between SA and the less available TB bits. You are right that girls changing voices should be addressed though.

In Year 9 (middle school system so first year of High School) girls & Boys PE was separate. Boys could choose from Football, Rugby, Badminton & Athletics rotations, Girls could choose Dance instead instead of a traditional sport.

She should identify as a boy. Job done.

I lol'd at that.

I concur with the suggestions for her to start a new signing group that doesn't require auditions.

Is there a choir outside school she could join? Or, if she loves to sing but didn't pass the audition, have you considered voice lessons?

Girls loving to sing are a dime a dozen. Boys singing, especially choir, are not. I don't blame them for having the stance they do, in order to try and recruit boys.

Same way you might expect a boy to have to try out for the rugby team but if there weren't many girls then you'd let them play to start gaining the interest

I agree with this.

I’m not convinced this was started with honest intentions TBH. It seems set up to become a bunfight.

I am totally on the fence!

On the one hand it's perfectly fine as the numbers of boys will be + they need more encouragement.

OTOH it makes me sad for your DD and seems a real shame that all boys can participate if they wish but girls need to reach a certain standard to do it at all.

Don't know.