And that’s when the light bulb went off.
“Hey, why don’t you go upstairs and practice your choir songs,” I said in as non-punitive a tone as I could muster. Truth was, I was tired of the grousing. Comparing her life to her friends’ lives was becoming a bad habit. But my daughter had been singing in her elementary school choir once a week before school for a couple years, and she had recently been chosen to attend the state choir event.
The director sent each kids home with a CD of music to listen to and practice to on their own. I decided to jump on this opportunity to give my non-instrument- playing daughter a bit of regular “singing practice” time.
My suggestion caught my daughter off guard. She paused, perhaps about to argue, but then thought about it, shrugged, and said, “Okay.”
As she retreated up the stairs, I called after her cheerily, “Give it at least 20 minutes of practice, okay?” I had the feeling I was onto something.
Moments later, the sound of her voice came wafting down the stairs. The kid who had been moping about was now totally immersed in her music study.
Thirty minutes later, she skipped down the stairs, humming and cheerful. “What’s for dinner?” she said. “Can I make it?” I’d hit the mood-improvement jackpot for my child.
Since then, “singing practice” has become something of an institution in our home. No matter how many times I suggest, “Time for singing practice?” to my daughter, she never argues, she’s always willing to give it a go. And every time she does it, her mood is lifted and her attitude gets an adjustment without any fussing or futzing from me.
I’m not sure whether singing practice can work the same magic for every child, but now that you know how powerful the practice might be, doesn’t it seem silly not to try it with your own song-loving kids?
Singing is healthy physically, psychologically and socially, whether your child’s singing is pitch-perfect or not. Once you consider the many benefits singing can have on any member of your family, you may even decide to set aside your own daily singing time, and start to look for ways to get your whole family singing together and with others.
For information about local choir groups for children, visit http://www.northstateparent.com/YouthMusicGroups.
50 Good Reasons to Sing Regularly
- To lift spirits and lighten moods
- To learn to express a range of feelings
- To recognize song patterns, rhythms & rhymes
- To find comfort or solace
- To get involved in the arts
- To improve articulation
- To make any experience more fun
- To release frustration
- To encourage creativity
- To relax the body
- To inspire imagination
- To develop a stronger musical ear
- To become a better listener
- To develop memorization skills
- To recover from disappointment
- To calm anxious nerves
- To increase self-confidence
- To learn new words
- To expose yourself to different song styles
- To improve math aptitude
- To learn about history
- To improve body rhythm
- To stimulate brain development
- To experience joy
- To become a better communicator
- To exercise the lips, tongue, mouth and face
- To feel more grounded and present
- To cause endorphins to flow
- To develop leadership skills
- To share something special with others
- To aid healing
- To carry on traditions
- To improve the quality of your singing voice
- To find a more natural speaking voice
- To develop a sense of musical artistry
- To release oxytocin, a natural stress reliever, in the brain
- To sleep better at night
- To improve your posture
- To exercise the lungs, abdomen & rib muscles
- To boost your immune system
- To open up your sinuses and respiratory tubes
- To develop a healthier breathing pattern
- To feel individual power
- To participate in something positive
- To have the experience of reaching goals
- To appreciate all forms of music better
- To develop a sense of command over your voice and body
- To make music for free or inexpensively
- To remember you are an instrument
- To make your life rich with song
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Beautiful. Thank you for sharing.