When are children ready for voice lessons?
There is no “right” age to start since each voice and body are unique, but voice lessons do require a certain level of maturity. If you can answer yes to the following questions, then voice lessons may be right for your child.
Are they expressing an interest in taking lessons?
Do they delight in singing?
Are they eager to perform?
Do they have the desire to sing with more confidence?
Do they have strong aural skills?
Can they sing back what they hear?
Can they match and differentiate pitch?
Are they showing signs of resilience?
Can they tolerate not mastering something right away?
Can they tolerate making mistakes?
Can they tolerate trying again multiple times?
Can they tolerate stopping and starting?
Do they have mental and physical stamina?
Do they have the physical stamina long periods of standing and singing with active breathing?
Do they have the mental stamina to learn the music and the physical coordination of singing, simultaneously?
Practice Tips
Schedule your lessons consistently every week
Schedule a consistent time for practice daily
Focus on quality, not quantity
Check your posture before you start
Practice SLOWLY in small chunks, whether it’s one phrase, or one section at a time. Remember, SLOW WORK LEADS TO FAST PROGRESS
Increase the tempo ONLY if you can play two times with accuracy and good posture.
Isolate and repeat the hard sections–do not go back to the beginning and start over.
Repeat and repeat. Mastery comes with repetition.
Stop if you are making the same mistakes or going through the motions on mental “autopilot.”