Harrison, Scott Masculinities and Music: Engaging Men and Boys in Making Music

Harrison (music and music education, Griffith University AU) begins by telling his own story of growing up with music. Like many boys, he was teased and bullied for not being good at sports and for enjoying singing. He then segues into the topic of masculinity, what society's expectations of a man are. Looking at the literature as well as simply spending a day watching television, he realized that stereotypes have remained constant over the past two hundred years. 'Real' men are athletic, tough and in charge. This gives them financial and social success with access to the most attractive women. The fear of seeming feminine or homosexual is established in childhood. Music is generally considered feminine, although some instruments are less so, such as drums, bass guitar and trumpet. Through an amalgamate biography of 'George', a boy who loves vocal music, Harrison illustrates the feelings of the men he interviewed for the book as well as his own. He concludes with suggestions for music education that would be as mandatory as physical education, allowing both boys and girls to develop their talent without stigma. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)