About

Since 2006, the OU School of Music has welcomed sixth through twelfth grade boys from across the state to the Norman campus for a one-day choral festival of inspiring and enriching music making. The Young Men’s Vocal Workshop, otherwise known as Real Men Sing, is led by OU choral faculty members and distinguished guest conductors. Each year, hundreds of young men attend, representing dozens of high schools, junior high & middle schools, and elementary & intermediate schools. Participants in the Young Men’s Vocal Workshop not only rehearse and perform together, but also they enjoy performances by the OU Men’s Glee Club, OU faculty soloists, and current OU voice students.

Where

The Young Men’s Vocal Workshop is held each year on the campus of the University of Oklahoma, primarily in the Catlett Music Center (500 W. Boyd).  

Goals

The goals of the YMVW are (1) to provide an atmosphere where young men can have fun singing with other young men; (2) to allow these students to experience a measure of success as singers in a choral ensemble; and (3) to provide positive male singing role models for younger males.

Organization

The Young Men’s Vocal Workshop is organized into three choirs: high school, middle school changed voices, and treble or unchanged voices. The middle school changed voice choir is divided into two choirs that rehearse independently of one another but perform together in the concert. Each of the four choirs is conducted by an OU faculty member or guest conductor.

Performance

The Young Men’s Vocal Workshop concert is given at 4:00pm in Sharp Concert Hall inside the Catlett Music Center.  

What is provided

As part of the registration cost, lunch, water, a t-shirt, and a group photo in Memorial Stadium are provided are provided.

What is not provided

Musical scores, folders (not required), and pencils are not provided. Musical scores should be purchased through local or online music dealers. Pender’s Music of Oklahoma City stocks the YMVW repertoire each year and is highly recommended.

History

A January 2000 article in the Music Educators Journal by Dr. Steven Demorest entitled, “Encouraging Male Participation in Chorus”, which included a basic outline of a men’s festival at the University of Washington, provided the spark for what would become one of the largest annual gatherings of adolescent male singers in the United States, the Young Men’s Vocal Workshop at The University of Oklahoma.