When Should My Child Start Singing Lessons?
Just like my mother’s child, your child is enraptured by music and has been singing since he/she was a baby. Everyone says he/she is remarkable. “That child should have lessons,” they say, sagely. But in most cases, it’s not a good idea. Why? Because in small children, the larynx is small and particularly vulnerable to injury before puberty. There are exceptions.
For instance, if you are one of those parents who is so hell-bent on producing a child-star you are ready to move across the country just to up the odds, your child definitely needs lessons. You should find a teacher who specializes in working with professional children singers. I warn you, however, that there is an entire industry out there ready to take your money with wild promises of making your child a star and plenty of folks who don’t care what happens to your child’s larynx in the process. Many young girls heart-set on fame and fortune have ended up with polyps and worse before they even hit their teens. Some of them will never be able to sing again. Serious child singers should not only always have a vocal coach but also always be under the care of a laryngologist.
Finally, if you do decide to go ahead with lessons, make sure your child’s teacher is fiercely dedicated to your child’s vocal health and have your child checked out regularly by an ENT.
Other exceptions would include my youngest vocal student Aniyla. She started with me when she was five. The majority of vocal teachers won’t take children this young and normally, I am one of them. So what makes this situation different?
To begin with, Aniyla’s mother is a singer who started singing as a child. Her primary concern is her daughter’s vocal health. She knows as her daughter grows and her talent becomes more evident to others she’s going to be in high demand by music teachers and choir directors, talent scouts and the like. She wants to be certain her voice will still be intact into her adulthood.
We are partners, she and I, constantly monitoring Aniyla, sharing our observations and making adjustments. And it is she who supervises her daughter’s practice sessions and keeps her from pushing her voice during the week.
Also, Aniyla is one of the most receptive students I have ever had. I barely suggest a correction and she puts it in place. She is self-disciplined and practices willingly. It is a truly exceptional circumstance.
If you have similarly talented child and share the same concerns as Anyla’s mother, even if you don’t sing yourself you can very safely used Susan Anders’ Just Songs Vocal warm-ups for kids. She does a great job of taking kids through a series of very beneficial exercises. Start with one, then gradually add the next. Be careful not to jump into advanced no matter how much you might like the song she’s using.
Finally, if you do decide to go ahead with lessons, make sure your child’s teacher is fiercely dedicated to your child’s vocal health and have your child checked out regularly by an ENT.
Marie-france teaches piano, voice, and acting from her home studio in Waldwick, NJ.