GuidetoDevelopingYoungVoicesWrittenbyLauraMason,VoiceandPianoinstructor,Kathy’sMusic,LLC

Thekeytodevelopingyoungvoicesistorememberthattheyarejustthat,developing.Learningtosingcorrectlyearlyonnotonlypromotesvocalgrowthbutalsovocalhealth.Inourvoiceclassesandcampswefocusspecificallyonfivetechniquesthatprotectandfosterthesepreciousvoices.1. PostureAswithmostperformingarts,goodpostureiskeytosuccess.Afterall,thesinger’s

instrumentishisorherbody.Therearefivepointstogoodsingingposture.First,feetareslightlyaparttomaximizebalance.Second,armsshouldbekeptatthesideorinfrontofthebody.Placingthearmsbehindthebackrestrictsthediaphragm,whichwewilllookatinasecond.Third,fourth,andfifth,shouldersareback,headisup,andchinisdown.Thesearetokeepthe“vocalmechanism”aligned.Childrenespeciallyneedtoberemindedtokeeptheirchindownwhilesingingastheyareoftentemptedtoreachfornoteswithit,andconsequently,throwthingsoutofalignment.Workonitathome:Agreatwaytoworkonpostureathomeistoplaya“PopUpPosture”game.Forexample,duringonesummervoicecampstudentspretendedtobetrollstrundlingaroundtothefamiliar“FixerUpper”song,andwhenthemusicstoppedtheypoppedupintogoodsingingposture.Youcanbeascreativeandpersonalwiththisactivityasyouwant.HowfunwoulditbetodrivearoundlikecarstotheTransformer’sthemesong,andthenwheneveryouheard“Transformers,”transformintogoodsingingposture?2.DiaphragmaticBreathingThisisafancywayofreferringtosomethingwedoverynaturally:breathingfromthediaphragm,amusclelocatedbelowtheribcage.Thechallengeisthis:whenyousingyouareexpendingmoreairthanyouusuallydo,similartorunningorothercardioexercises.Oftentimeswhentryingtotakeabigbreathandreplacethisairchildrenthinkofbreathing“up”intothelungsandrestricttheirdiaphragm,resultinginalesseffectivebreath.Itisimportantforchildrentothinkofthebreathasfillingbothupandout,likeaballoon.Furthermore,buildingawarenessofthediaphragmallowschildrentobecomefamiliarwiththepowersourceoftheirvoiceanddiscouragesthemfrompushingwiththeirthroat,whichisverydangerousforallvoicesbutparticularlyyoungones.

Workonitathome:Itisveryeasytobreathefromthediaphragmwhilelyingdownonyourback.Whileinthisrelaxingpositionplaceafavoritestuffedanimalonthebelly,rightbelowtheribcage.Watchasthediaphragmliftsitupasyoubreatheinanddownasyoubreatheout.3.OpenMouthThevoiceescapesthebodyfromthemouth.Thereforethemouthshouldbeopenedwidewhensinging.Thisnotonlyallowsformorevolume,butalsoforauniformvowelsoundandpitchwhensingingwithagroup.Workonitathome:Inclass,weworkonshapingourmouthinspecificwayswhensingingeachdifferentvowel.Athome,lookinthemirrorandseethevariousshapesthemouthmakeswhensayingdifferentvowels.4.EnunciationWhilemuchfocusisplacedonvowelswhensinging,itisimportantnottoforgettheconsonants.Movingthemouthfullysothatconsonantsareheardisimperativetocomprehensionofthelyricsandexpressivecommunicationofthesong.Workonitathome:Whatbetterwaytoworkonenunciationthanwithtonguetwisters?Onceatonguetwisterismastered,takeitastepfurtherandreciteitdramaticallyandexpressively.5.HeadVoiceThisisthelast,butcertainlynottheleasttechniqueweworkoninclassesandcamps.Infact,manywouldsayitisthemostvitaltechniqueinensuringvocalhealthforyoungvoices.Whensinginghighnotes,itisimportanttoraisethesoftpalateatthebackofthemouthsothatthevoicehasextraspaceintheheadtoresonate,hencethetermheadvoice.Sometimeschildrenwilltrytoreachhighnoteswithoutraisingtheirsoftpalate,puttingunneededandunwelcomestrainontheirvocalchords.Furthermore,learningtouseheadvoiceleadstomoreconsistentandaccuratepitch.Workonitathome:Agreatwaytofindone’sheadvoiceistoyawnandfeelthesoftpalateliftupatthebackofthemouth.Makingsirensoundswiththevoiceisanothergreatwaytodevelopheadvoice.

Ofcourse,themostimportantthingtoremembertodevelopinyoungvoicesisaloveofsinging.Havefunlisteningtoandsingingwithyourchild,andenjoythecommunityyousharewhenyoudo!