Teaching children to sing...

Studio voice teachers see more children for singing lessons than ever before, myself included.  I could simply say that I don't take students younger than 14 into the studio, but many of these young singers are already performing in children's theater, choirs etc. and sometimes already running into vocal trouble because of either putting too much effort into their singing or trying to produce a sound not compatible with their age, or both.

I always spend time talking to a parent who calls me about lessons for their child.  Often, I will direct a young singer and their parents to the local, University-run children's choir or, for very young children, suggest a Kindermusik program (yes, I've had parents call in for children as young as 3).  Usually, the parent has no idea of their options and they are not musical themselves, so they don't know which direction to go.

When I do interview a child singer and their parents for possible lessons, I look for several criterion.  Is the singer wanting the lessons or is the parent wanting the lessons for them?  Many children sing naturally and effortlessly, but are not ready for a structured learning program.   Is the singer a good student in school?  Good study habits mean they learn well and will practice between lessons.  Can the singer match pitch well already and do they already have training on another instrument, such as piano or violin.  If they aren't matching pitch well, then I am an expensive way to bring them up to speed and they would have much more fun learning the basics in a children's choir.  Are they already performing?  Are they self-assured?  I have taken an occasional student who is a good candidate but is shy and needs one-on-one lessons to gain confidence.

The difference in teaching a child is not in the what, but in the how.  The most important detail is the trust factor.  A child has to feel utterly safe with you in order to sing freely and learn easily.  A voice teacher working with children can never lose patience and must know how to gently put forward and enforce behavioral boundaries, just like any good parent.  Information and concepts are given out in smaller bites, and the learning process is more activity or movement directed, using games and imagery.   Indeed, with a child singer, your primary job is to nurture their love of singing, the technical aspects coming in second to that.

The last detail to take into account is how close they are to puberty.  Even with females, the voice undergoes a process during puberty, where their voice first gets fuzzy in the top range, then the lower tones start to emerge, then the upper range clears.  This is due, of course, to their bodies and larynx growing, as well as the changes in hormones.  I usually bring the topic out in the open with both parent and singer, explaining how the process works and what they can expect.  There is a period of about six months where the effects of puberty are the most evident, then there's the process of the singer getting to know their "new" voice.