January 14, 2012 12:47 PM
Does your child sing? Here's how to help
If you have a child whose gift is singing, there are ways to support the
development of that talent - just as we support kids who are gifted in
sports.1) Introduce your child to a wide range of music - from classical to jazz, from folk songs to good quality rock, from sacred to Broadway. Fill them up with lots of good stuff and when they hear today's teeny bop music they won't be so vulnerable to it.
2) Expand your own musical horizons. This is a Montessori principle - to grow in knowledge so as to have more to offer our children.
3) Take your child to concerts. Check you local symphony for special concerts for kids.
4) See if your child would like to join the choir at church or a local community choir. In high school, he or she should take chorus or choir as their electives.
5) Look for community theater productions of family-friendly shows with roles for children - Sound of Music, Annie, Oliver! - or children in the chorus. Community theater usually has higher production values than school plays and a cast of people who are committed to do the most professional job they can.
6) If possible, look into private lessons - though most voice teachers wait until after the age of 12 when the voice is mature enough to begin working with without damage..
7) Teach your child to take care of her instrument. For singers, the instrument is not something you pack away in a case, but something more vulnerable: the throat and voacl cords. Singers care for their instrument by wearing a scarf when it's chilly, practicing good nutrition and generous hydration, and avoiding rock-style shrieking which can actually damage the vocal cords.
8) Look for music competitions. For singers, competition offers the opportunity to learn to choose wisely what to sing, to work hard to perfect one or two pieces of music, to get comfortable performing, and to accept criticism with gratitude so as to perfect the singer's craft.
This practice/performance cycle makes up the life of a musical artist, so preparing from the early years is helpful for those who do decide to make a career in music.
Virginia is blessed to have The Bland Music Competition*sponsored by the Lions Club, which holds local competitions in January and February for singers and musicians 8-18. There are two age groups and awards for singers and musicians. Winners proceed to a second through three more levels, culminating in a state contest with 12 finalists competing for 18,000 in scholarships.
This is not a place to sing Beyonce or Katy Perry, but more classical or Broadway. In the senior division, classical is definitely preferred. This is great training for those who want their children to take music seriously. Maddy competed every year from the time she was 9 years old and she would be the first to tell you that it helped her develop the passion, poise and purpose that led her to where she is today: studying vocal performance at Catholic University with a career goal of being a professional opera singer.
*Announcement for Purcellville/Lovettsville Bland Competition follows.
**The picture above is Maddy singing her solo in The Sound of Music when she was five. Coming through the door behind her are Sophia and Ben, who were also vonTrapp children.
Love,
