Vocal Auditions When posting for singer auditions keep language about voice parts gender-neutral. And, if youre struggling to make the decision yourself, why not create a shortlist of options and ask the members of your choir to vote for their favourite option for your new choir name. Provide Trans 101 for all staff, volunteers, and singers. Names like Noah, Jodie, Kai, Charlie, Skylar, and Finely are all now frequently used for boys and girls. There are a number of terms people use to identify their gender. Fun Fact: Tony Stark is a rich businessman and the alter ego of Marvel Comics superhero Iron Man. A persons sex is determined at birth by their biological body parts, but their gender is a social construct that can be chosen and reflect what a person knows they are. So if its appropriate, get the members of your choir involved! These names are a little tougher to create but if you make sure your listeners understand the context surrounding your choirs name, you are onto a winner. 12. Fun Fact: An Orca whale named Morgan lives at Loro Parque in Spain. Some gender-neutral names like Avery and Kennedy are traditionally last names that turned into first names after enough people started using them as given names. Choruses seek to foster an open, welcoming culture, but some practices can exclude and cause pain for transgender singers. Jamie: I never plan to stop singing to the best of my ability, and I want to make the best of the rest of my years in high school in choir and to make a change in the choir program; to let trans kids know it is possible to sing no matter what. If you still need some inspiration, weve added more names below, for more than 150 unisex baby name options! Fun Fact: Yo, Adrian! is an iconic movie quote from the 1976 movie Rocky. They are guidelines for creating more space, to make room for singers to bring their whole, authentic selves to your chorus and the music you make together. 2023 Dotdash Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Fun Fact: Mount Tatum is part of the Alaska Range in Denali National Park, Alaska. Fun Fact: The USS Greer was a United States Navy destroyer warship. Asher - This Hebrew name means blessed or happy. Consider the implications of gendered language in chorus names. Use people, folks, friends, or everyone when referring to the choir as a whole. But thats often not the case for singers who are transgender. They can also include baby names traversing the traditional gender line, such . If youre looking for trendy, gender-neutral names, these monikers work for any gender. Lily: I have made new friends in choir that I would not have had. Or, if you want people to know that you only perform a particular genre, like an a cappella group. A unisex name might be the best choice if you dont know the gender of your baby or youd like to give your little one a moniker that doesnt evoke a feminine or masculine feeling. Fun Fact: Lord & Taylor is a high-end department store that was founded in New York in 1826. When posting for singer auditions keep language about voice parts gender-neutral. Lily was encouraged to sing in the Mens Choir for vocal range, but did not identify with that ensemble. Fun Fact: Rain is not only a given name, but its also the name of a few places, books, movies, music groups, and many songs. Fun Fact: Ronald Reagan was the 40th President of United States of America. At MSU, he studied conducting with Dr. Sandra Snow, Dr. Jonathan Reed, and Dr. David Rayl, and received a university-wide award for his work on LGBTQ inclusion in choral music education. Fun Fact: Storm is a powerful fictional character and member of the X-Men who can control the weather. Beemyn, G., & Rankin, S. R. (2011). 11. Awareness of our students gender identity and potential issues originating in traditional choral settings are a current concern for many choral directors. 9. Fun Fact: Leighton Beach is a popular beach located on the Indian Ocean in Australia. Yau also notes the names that have switched the most, ping-ponging back . Fun Fact: Shawn Michaels is also known as the Heartbreak Kid, and he is a legend in the world of professional wrestling. Amber has had a testosterone imbalance her entire life. The most important thing is that choral conductor-teachers take the time to consider these issues and that they beunafraid to have conversations about gender and how it plays out in the choral environment. To be inclusive of trans singers, womens and mens choruses also need to select repertoire with voicing that will allow them to participate. Johnnie. Naming your baby is a special part of welcoming a new member to your family, and choosing the perfect moniker might take some time. Discuss what type of name you think most suits your choir brand. 1. Jamie: My singing voice is very important to me, and just be-cause I am an alto (mezzo-soprano range) doesnt change the fact that it is my voice, and therefore is a boys voice. The descriptive nature of these types of choir names is that straight away anyone hearing or reading your name will know the style of and, often, the location of your choir. Seattle Pro Musica, for example, uses name tags that include the persons first name and pronouns, says Thomas. 4. The lives of transgender people. Fun Fact: Tarquinn Quinn Blackwood is a character in The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice. And, does that matter? Or, you may just think unisex names are unique, cool, cute, and fun! 3. Fun Fact: The name Emerson may also take inspiration from the American writer, poet, and thinker Ralph Waldo Emerson. I have this fear, says Valverde, that if one of my trans students comes in for an audition theyre going to be pigeonholed because of their gender expression. For instance, a singer who is not perceived as feminine enough may be excluded from auditioning for a womens solo line, even though she could sing the part beautifully. A great example was put together by Nadine Cooper, who heads up the Tuneless Choir. Fun Fact: Peyton Place is the name of a novel, a film, and a soap opera. She identies female, but vocally presents as a low tenor/baritone. William Sauerland, who teaches at Chabot College in Hayward, California, is focusing his dissertation on the teaching of transgender singers. Bao - This Vietnamese name means treasure. Find out what voice part they would like to sing, and (perhaps even more importantly) what the connection is (if any) between their voice and their gender identity. These names are for the parent looking to give baby their own unique way through life while still giving them a name to fall back on for support, no matter who they discover . Whether you're part of a church choir, community choir, a capella group, boy band, girl group, or another type of singing group, see our list of more than 70 group names below or scroll below the list for tips on creating your own singing group name ideas! Your email address will not be published. Check out the most popular unisex baby name ideas. Wells, K., Roberts, G., & Allan, C. (2012). Ariel - This Hebrew name means lion of God. There are many resources out there on the topic of trans students and gender identity. What do we call our choirs? Guest blogger Joshua Palkki is Assistant Professor of Vocal/Chorus Music Education at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach. Be knowledgeable about transgender singing voices. Assign voice parts and invite solo auditions based on voice, not gender expression. Resource List for Welcoming Transgender Singers. Along with Charlie and Lowen, other cool nonbinary names include Arbor, Everest, Frey, Kit, Onyx, Ridley, Tatum, and Wren. I like to sing and explore voice. Behind the scenes @boesendorferofficial with a mas, In collaboration with Diane Linn, Executive Direct. sang in the Varsity Womens Choir with Lily last year. 8. Fun Fact: Air Jordan is the brand of athletic wear and shoes created for professional basketball star Michael Jordan. Fun Fact: The Sierra Nevada is a mountain range in the western part of the United States. Fun Fact: Cameron is the name of a crater on the moon. Social Security Administration. The androgynous names on this list were researched using websites like BabyCenter to find their origins and meanings. Its not common for a trans woman to be singing in the soprano range, except in really rare situations and unless they have an incredibly trained voice, says Ramseyer Miller. Stephanie Trump is Director of Choirs at Armstrong High School and Director of the Womens Chorale at University of Northwestern, St. Paul. While that is an important aspect that is addressed by these recommendations, the musical training and experience conductors already have provide a strong foundation to do that work. Pin it to save it for later: Charise Rohm Nulsen is a writer, social media influencer, activist, and perpetual volunteer. Instead of womens or mens choruses they are called soprano-alto or tenor-bass. Its cumbersome, says Thomas, but at least it addresses the issue, and maybe in a couple years, language will have evolved and well have shorter, easier names. In my own experience, I was really touched when a chorus dropped the word women from its name before asking me, a genderqueer person, to audition. From our director workshops and professional networking events to our scholarship programs for young musicians, we continue to give back to our musical communities year-round. The reeds come from certain types of plants. Whatever the reason, more and more families are trending toward using gender-neutral names for their babies. This can be a fun and inclusive way to involve the entire choir in choosing choir names. Fun Fact: Brett is a nickname for an ingredient some brewers use to make their craft beer. As part of Encore Tours' effort tocontinue the conversationafter the2017 Chorus America Conference, we've asked Dr. Palkki to expand upon his contribution to the'Creating a Welcoming Space for Transgender and Non-Binary Singers'session. Depending on the scale of your choir and your performance ambitions this will be of varying degrees of importance. Lily: Fitting in, not identifying with the gender of the tenor section, just getting to know new kids and being accepted. Attire is an important way in which all people, trans and cis, represent ourselves to the world, and forcing singers to wear clothes incongruent with their gender identity can be especially uncomfortable for transgender singers who already struggle to have their identities respected. Jamie: Misgendering, difculties with breaks in voice, good and bad voice days, and uctuations in voice. Voice part assignments should be handled with tact and awareness that voice can be a source of dysphoria for trans singers. Simply put, if you dont know, ask! Author: Joshua received hisPh.Din music education (choral conducting cognate) from Michigan State University; his dissertation explored the experiences of three transgender students in high school choral programs. Gender-neutral baby names are inclusive while still being nonspecific. Our working together has made me aware of how much I dont know. Be aware of how top dysphoria and chest binding can affect breathing. This practice will also benefit the many cis women who sing tenor. The following monikers are perfectly short and sweet! 7). The lives of transgender people. Nadine put together the choir after years of being told she could not sing, and the result is a musical experience quite unlike any other. For example: The Sixteen This group were originally an unnamed choir of sixteen good friends who decided to name themselves after the number of members, this UK choir is now one of the best in the world. Read our, 100 Popular and Unique Gender-Neutral Baby Names For Your Baby, 100 Celtic Baby Names: Meanings & Origins, 38 Baby Names That Start With the Letter "O". Some of Steeles singers refrain from doing anything that might draw attention to their chests, like taking in a large breath, she says, so we have physical and emotional components at play. While it is not appropriate to ask singers if they bind, just as we would not ask cis people what kind of undergarments they wear, it helps to be sensitive to the fact that some trans singers bind and may benefit from assistance with breath support and dealing with the binder, says Steele. While some transgender people take pride in having a voice that does not match our gender identity, for many, this mismatch causes intense dysphoria.AFAB (Assigned Female at Birth) people who take testosterone experience a thickening of the vocal folds and a deepening of the voice. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Fun Fact: Avery Arable is Ferns mischievous big brother in the beloved childhood classic Charlottes Web.. Refer to singers by their voice (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) rather than genders. I am discovering the possibilities of my voice. Fun Fact: Dr. Leslie Winkle is a recurring character on the TV show The Big Bang Theory. 1) Asuka, pronounced A-SOO-KA or A-SKA meaning "tomorrow" or "fragrance". There are many reasons to consider a gender-neutral name when deciding what to name your child. Keep the cool and vintage sounds going with the following unisex baby names! Fun Fact: Cassidy is the name of a song by The Grateful Dead. In a large-scale study of nearly 3,500 transgender people, participants used 603 unique identifiers to describe their gender identity (Beemyn & Rankin, 2011). For more baby name inspiration check out these popular baby name lists: Considering one of these names? Miller, J. R. (2016). Fun Fact: Charlie the Tuna is the well-known mascot for StarKist Tuna. Similarly to suggestive choir names, they may require more storytelling to make sense to outsiders. In an effort to honor the student voice(s) and continue my journey of knowledge and under-standing, I want to introduce you to two current students and one former student: Jamie identies as transgender and started his physical transition through testosterone treatments in August of 2016. And sessions on transgender singers have been included at the ACDA National Conference, the National Collegiate Choral Organization conference, and the Chorus America Conference. 1. Ashton - This American unisex name means ash tree town. Based on this conversation, a personalized voice part plan can be devised. Provide gender-neutral restroom options in rehearsal and performance venues. AERO AINSLEY ALEXIS AMARI ANGEL ARDEN ARI ARIEL ARMANI ARTEMIS ASHTON AUBREY AUGUST AVERY BECKETT BELLAMY BLAKE BRIAR CAMERON/KAMRYN CARTER/KARTER CHANDLER CHARLIE DAKOTA DALLAS DARCY DENVER DIOR DREW DYLAN EASTON ECHO EDEN ELLIOTT ELLIS EMERSON EMERY/EMORY EZRA FALLON FINLEY FRANKIE GENESIS Valen 12. On the other hand, if your name is for a temporary summer school childrens choir, the importance of this final stage reduces. Verywell Family's content is for informational and educational purposes only. Fun Fact: The four most important angels are the archangels Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel. Her article inspired me to consider how I can better serve my students. When there is a mismatch between a persons gender and the sex they were assigned at birth, this mismatch can cause a discomfort known as gender dysphoria. How to Finally Choose A Name for your Choir, Get everyone to suggest a name each, use this article to help with brainstorming. Parker. Amber sang in the Varsity Womens Choir with Lily last year. 3. When collecting contact information, include a line for all singers (not just transgender ones) to write in what pronouns they use. 7), S/A music will require rearrangement. Regularly track a singer who is undergoing testosterone treatment. Amber has had a testosterone imbalance her entire life. Education needs to be ongoing to account for singer and staff turnover and to stay current on recent developments. Read on for 75 unisex names to get obsessed with, from Alex to Zealand. Choral teachers should refer to sections, not genders, says Palkki in his 2017 Choral Journal article Inclusivity in Action: Transgender Students in the Choral Classroom, because not everyone who sings soprano or alto is a woman, and not everyone who sings tenor or bass is a man. Another possibility is a dress code with rules about color and length, allowing singers to choose what to wear within those parameters. Gender-neutral names are super popular right now, but that doesn't mean you won't find a unique name for your new baby on this list. Sian Jones and Amy Seyers are appointed to Bath Abbey choir - after nearly 150 years of the Abbey only allowing women singers to fill in for men. As mentioned before, these decisions are based on your choir and vocal groups own goals and objectives. Any time you work on behalf of the most marginalized population adds Steele, you are working on behalf of everyone.. Fun Fact: Ryans Hope was an American Soap Opera that appeared on television from 1975 to 1989. 2. She stays in touch, but was not able to contribute responses to the following questions. People wouldnt want to wear something that misidentifies them., Assigning concert attire by section or gender can also be a challenge for cisgender singers. Fun Fact: Scout Finch is the narrator and young daughter of Atticus Finch in Harper Lees novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The roots of the name are of Arabic origin. Jordan is a classic gender-neutral baby name, nabbing spot 435 in 2018 for girls and 82 for boys. Whats particularly hard, says Joshua Palkki of the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach, is breaking with tradition: Theres so much tradition in choral music, andso many things that just have been done without question, because its the way things have always been done. Choruses must deal with our history of naming and separating by gender, says Seattle Pro Musica artistic director Karen Thomas. Fun Fact: A phoenix is a legendary immortal bird. How to Become a Barrister: 6 Things You What to Expect from Your Winter Graduation. Degrees of importance Things you what to Expect from your Winter Graduation professional wrestling 2018 for girls 82! To account for singer auditions keep language about voice parts gender-neutral website in this browser the. Line, such provide gender-neutral restroom options in rehearsal and performance venues have. 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The many cis women who sing tenor heads up the Tuneless choir example, uses name tags include. Are called soprano-alto or tenor-bass a legendary immortal bird people use to identify their gender their gender childrens! Lily: I have made new friends in choir that I would not had., Charlie, Skylar, and Finely are all now frequently used for boys and chest binding can breathing. Soprano-Alto or tenor-bass goals and objectives contribute responses to the choir as a.. Dysphoria for trans singers, from Alex to Zealand with, from Alex to Zealand a. Popular unisex baby names are inclusive while still being nonspecific time I comment and girls yau notes... & Rankin, S. R. ( 2011 ) names on this conversation, film. More than 150 unisex baby name, nabbing spot 435 in 2018 for girls and for... Be inclusive of trans singers, Womens and mens choruses they are called soprano-alto or tenor-bass St..! Think most suits your choir involved gender, says Thomas: a is! Based on your choir and vocal groups own goals and objectives who is undergoing testosterone treatment the time... Rohm Nulsen is a gender neutral choir names department store that was founded in new York 1826! Iron Man singers who are transgender Quinn Blackwood is a dress code with rules about color and length, singers... Name ideas Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice stay current on recent developments character and member of the are! Following unisex baby name lists: Considering one of these names is the brand of athletic wear and shoes for. Tomorrow & quot ; tomorrow & quot ; Family 's content is for a summer... Executive Direct Brett is a nickname for an ingredient some brewers use to identify their gender with... The entire choir in choosing choir names posting for singer auditions keep language about voice parts gender-neutral topic...
