A Brief Musical Observation
I have found, while paying attention to my musical leanings, something to be quite true over the last several months: If I want to identify with a song, I listen to a male voice singing it. If I want to hear a story and not feel pressured to identify with it, I listen to a female voice singing it.
I think I’m stricter on male-vocal-powered groups because of a natural need to identify with what the voice is saying. [Would I have less of an objection to Caedmon's Call's "Thankful" if Danielle Young had sung it and not Derek Webb? That's an interesting thought for another day. Anyhow, that's beside my point entirely.]
I find that I am far, far slower to identify with songs if they were sung by the female voice. This is especially true with Over The Rhine, my darling obsession from my old home state. Oh, I dearly love Karin Bergquist’s voice, but at times, I find it much harder to fully identify with the song until I’ve gotten so used to hearing her sing it that I really stop and listen to the words.
I can think of a plausible reason for this: I like to sing along with my music, and when singing with the female voice, I have to work with my falsetto to get up there and give it a go. [I have to do this with Karin, but at times, she drops really low in the register, like on the title track to Ohio, which I identified with immediately.]
I wonder if I’m like other vocalists in that regard. That’s probably a question for Brian, he of the color-associated songs. [I don't have synesthesia as Brian does, and he'll probably be mildly annoyed that I brought it up.] It might also do to ask Susan, my Sandra McCracken-obsessed med-student acquaintance. 
Am I alone in this?
No, not annoyed.
If I’m in the mood to sing, then I’d rather have a guys voice….but I don’t know if I’m slower to identify with a female singer. I have to be honest and say that it’s quite possible, since I listen to more male vocalists than female. (though female vocals have more pleasing colors
)
February 14th, 2005 at 20:00I’ve alway found that I tend towards the male singers more than female… I don’t know why, but it’s held true when I listened to country (Colin Raye, Garth Brooks) or contemorary Christian (Jars of Clay), or my current listening of Peterson and Caedmons. In all these cases, I can really get into the lyrics… possibly because I’m singing them.
Most of the female singers I can think of have fun music, but not ones that stick deeply. These include Faith Hill, Shania Twain, Britney Spears (the music like Toxic is just fun to listen to… leave me alone already), and Gwen Stephani. They’re all extremely talented and very entertaining, but I do take less from them I think that the male singers.
February 14th, 2005 at 20:51I much prefer male singers, also. And I frequently identify with them. But when it comes time for a bitter man-hatin’ song… well, then I have to give it to the women.
February 14th, 2005 at 21:19Interesting. I always thought I was a weirdo or secrectly sexist against my own gender for preferring male vocals to female (not in the boyband type way).
For some reason, a female singer has to be exceptionally good for me to appreciate her music enough to want to own the CD. I’m not sure it’s just about vocal-range either, but more to do with the whole person, because I notice that I usually stick with female vocalists who write their own music (Sara Groves) or are a vital part of a group (Lori Chaffer of Waterdeep).
I think, for me, it must have something to do with respect.
February 14th, 2005 at 23:39I would agree with that…
because I think I lean more towards understanding songs sung by women.
However I think it depends on the meaning behind the song…. if it is a love song, I usually identify for a female first, because I understand that perspective. Like in over the rhine, a lot of their “love songs” come from the female perspective on the relationship. therefore it is easier for me to identify. But women listen to men sing love songs and they think “I wish someone would love me like that” they dont identify with it… .they covet it.
On the other hand “Christian” songs can go either way. Because I love Jennifer Knapp or Ginny owens or Waterdeep.. but at the same time I can really appriciate men vocalist when they are passionate about what they sing.
Plus I ususally read the lyrics before I listen to a new CD. So I start with the words and then add the music.
February 15th, 2005 at 11:13I have such a low voice that I can rarely sing along with a woman on a track…. so I tend to favor male vocalists. I’m highly critical of woman singers – maybe it’s just a girl thing – but I am more willing to put up with a less-than-lovely guy’s voice if I really like the song.
February 16th, 2005 at 09:17I have always favored male vocalists to female, but have yet to put my finger down on exaclty why. It may be this whole “relating” thing you speak of.
Very few female vocalists have ever caught my ear, but it can be done. I think I just plain have to like the voice. For me, that is a very narrow range of female vocalists.
February 16th, 2005 at 11:20Well, but Roger, I listen to a lot of female vocalists. In fact, until the last four years, I’d say that my discography has always been female-heavy. [Now that I listen to Over The Rhine, Hem, and Patty Griffin, I'm leavening it again.]
February 16th, 2005 at 11:42Mine is female-light. The more I pondered after leaving, the more I realized that it is just the voice and the lyrics to me. If the lyrics are acceptable and I like the voice, then I’ll listen. Most of the time, though, I don’t like the voice so the lyrics don’t matter.
I’m pretty opinionated.
February 18th, 2005 at 11:04It makes no difference to me whatsoever. That may be because I can’t sing, but it’s probably because the important thing to me is the lyrics (which is because I’m not really musically inclined at all). I tend to listen to more female artists than Mike does (his top 50 is shockingly male-dominated), but it’s not that male artists don’t catch my attention at all.
February 18th, 2005 at 11:31I’d never thought of it before…but I think I view music exactly as you do.
March 1st, 2005 at 19:14