November 2009
Everyone Can Sing (Well)?
By Karen Finucan Clarkson
Sing
Sing a song
Sing out loud
Sing out strong
(Sing by Jose Raposo, 1972)
Words to live by, say local music educators. Whether singing to a baby in utero, singing with a toddler or listening to a teen sing his first solo, parents are instrumental in guiding a child’s vocal development and exposing him to a form of expression that can last a lifetime.
While the primary reason to sing is simply for the fun of it, there are a multitude of benefits for children who regularly burst into song. “It helps with the underlying ability to communicate, to express oneself, to use the voice with intensity but not harm it,” says Aurelius Gori of Gori Voice Studios, LLC, in Kensington. “The benefits of studying and developing one’s voice range beyond the ability to make sound to increased confidence and enhanced leadership skills.”
Self-confidence was cited by 71 percent of parents as the primary benefit of their child singing in a chorus, according to a recent study by the nonprofit Chorus America. Some 10.1 million American children sing in choirs today, according to the group.
Choristers have the opportunity to socialize and, like athletes on a sports team, work toward a common goal, says Joan Gregoryk, founder and artistic director of Children’s Chorus of Washington. “They learn that their individual voice, participation and commitment are important to the group sound.”
Singing also can be soothing, both for the listener--think lullabies--and the performer. For some children singing has an almost cathartic effect as they use their voices to express emotion in an appropriate way. For others, “the breathing techniques learned in voice lessons help them become calmer,” says Gori.
Who Says You Can’t Sing?
Everyone can learn to sing, though not necessarily at a level that will result in a career on Broadway, agree local voice teachers. “Some children seem to be born able to sing in tune while others have to be taught to match pitches,” says Gregoryk.
Even if a child’s initial tones aren’t music to your ears, music educators caution against telling the child he can’t sing. “Don’t expect perfection from the start,” says Corrine Turner, choir director for Levine School of Music, “but do expect him to sing happily and without reservation.”
Parents also should be careful not to project misgivings about their own singing ability. “Parents need to sing--to and with their children--no matter how they sing,” says Sondra Harnes, founder and artistic director of World Children’s Choir in Northern Virginia.
Sing from the Start
“Scientists debate when babies in the womb begin to hear, but it’s sometime between 4 and 6 months,” says Harnes. “But you don’t have to wait, just sing throughout your pregnancy.”
Studies have shown that the fetal heart rates slow when the mother is speaking or singing, indicating that the baby is comforted by her voice. That becomes evident at Levine School, which offers parent/child classes for babies as young as 4 months. “Babies love listening to their parents sing,” says Roselinda Rampp, the school’s chair of early childhood and elementary music. “They may smile, shake a hand, or kick their legs in response.”
Babies are innate singers, able to cry, squeal, giggle and coo. They are born with an instrument that they can learn to play over time. By four months, babies can distinguish between higher and lower tones, according to Rampp. “Babbling is the beginning of that,” she says. Between 12 and 18 months, most are able to sing a simple melody more or less in tune.
To help encourage development of a child’s vocal skills, music educators recommend exploring the voice with your child at a young age. Ghost sounds and sirens allow him to move through a range of pitches while animal sounds give him a chance to use his upper and lower registers. And, because children learn through imitation, keep singing to and with your child on a regular basis.
Sing Your Part
“In many cultures families sing together,” says Gori, who grew up in an Alpine tradition that embraced song. “It’s unfortunate that we haven’t been able to maintain that in this country.”
Group singing is most common at the elementary school level. “This is a time to focus on a child’s ability to match pitch and to provide experiences that will make singing enjoyable whether as part of a group or on one’s own,” says Gregoryk who taught elementary school music for 30 years.
Because most voice teachers don’t recommend private lessons until late-middle or high school, choral singing offers children the opportunity to learn some of the fundamentals without damaging their nascent voices.
“Whenever children sing in a group under someone’s direction, they are directly or indirectly getting vocal instruction,” says Harnes. “They learn how to warm up before they sing as well as diction, vocal placement and breath support.”
An ability to match pitch is what both Gregoryk and Harnes look for in new choral singers, no matter what the age. “They need to come with that one skill. The voice doesn’t have to stand out. This is a choral training program after all,” says Gregoryk.
Choirs also expose singers to different cultures and foreign languages. World Children’s Choir has, over the last year, performed pieces in 18 different languages, while Children’s Chorus of Washington has performed in places as diverse as West Virginia and Italy.
Sing from the Heart
While many children continue to sing with a chorus through adulthood without ever taking a private lesson, some seek individual instruction. “The point of voice lessons is to learn how to be a vocal athlete, to use the whole body not just as a sound-making machine but as an expressive instrument,” says Grace Gori, also of Gori Studios, LLC, in Kensington.
Most music schools and voice teachers in the area will not begin working with children until they are 12 or 13, as younger bodies and immature vocal chords aren’t ready for the rigors of private instruction.
“Voice is an interesting instrument,” says Fleta Hylton, chair of the voice department at Levine School. “It’s the only instrument you learn to play while it’s developing. And, unlike other instruments, it’s intangible, which makes it hard.”
All voices change during puberty, though it is more evident with boys. “For some boys, lessons through the change might help ease them through the process,” says Grace Gori. “Some might find it frustrating and want to wait.”
To help boys through the change, Gregoryk tries to keep them singing in their treble (higher) voice as long as it is practical. “It provides them with a greater range when the voice changes,” she says.
A young singer should use the voice gently, cautions Aurelius Gori, and avoid pressing it into a lower register before its ready in an attempt to sound more mature or, with boys, more manly. “It’s important to work with the voice as it is rather than to change or meld it,” he says.
While some voice teachers will take students without any musical training, others require certain skills, such as the ability to read music or play an instrument. “If you really want to be able to do your voice justice and run with it when it’s ready to take off, you need a musical toolbox,” says Hylton. She suggests that while a young child waits for the voice to mature, he should learn to play the piano, read music and sing harmony.
Finding a teacher who is a good fit for your child is critical, agree music educators. Pay attention to both the method and style of a teacher’s communication, says Aurelius Gori. Personality, integrity and trust are other considerations.
For some teenagers, gender may matter. Because learning to sing may begin as an imitative process, especially for those without much musical training, “they may be more comfortable learning from a teacher possessing a similar voice type to theirs,” he says.
A half-hour lesson for 12- to 14-year-old beginners is common; lessons for older or more advanced students can run 45 to 60 minutes. Lessons begin with a warm-up. “The voice is like any other muscle in the body; if you don’t warm it up, you’ll strain it,” says Mariana Pino, who teaches at Harmonia School of Music & Art in Oakton.
Proper breathing, diction and musical phrasing also may be practiced. In addition to exercises, students will begin work on individual pieces. “It’s particularly important for a child who is looking to major in music or musical theater to expand her repertoire,” says Grace Gori.
Because singing is physical training, practice is mandatory and singing with the radio or chorus doesn’t count. Most teachers agree that quality of practice is more important than quantity but recommend anywhere from three to seven times a week.
Some teachers, such as Pino, give homework. “I require them to research their pieces and, when appropriate, to find a translation so that they can understand what it is they’re singing about,” she says.
Voice students often have the opportunity to perform. Harmonia, for example, has end of semester recitals and an honors recital, which requires an audition. There also are competitions such as those for students of teachers who belong to the National Association of Teachers of Singing and another sponsored by Classical Singer magazine.
Whether students choose to avail themselves of voice lessons, sing in a chorus or just gather around the piano with their families, singing is an activity that can bring great joy into their lives, agree music educators--now and for decades to come.
Karen Finucan Clarkson is the mother of three boys (10-18) who love to sing.