The Magic Of Singing: 70 Reasons To Encourage Your Kids To Raise Their Voices

It happened a couple of years ago. My ten-year-old daughter was moping around the house, grousing about some aspect of our lives that was not as ideal as she perceived her friends’ lives.

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 the kids home with a CD of music to each listen to and practice 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.

If you are not convinced, you will be, once you check out this list of 70 good reasons to sing more regularly:

1. To lift spirits and lighten moods
2. To learn to express a range of feelings
3. To recognize song patterns, rhythms, and rhymes
4. To find comfort or solace
5. To pass the time
6. To calm anxious nerves
7. To avoid boredom
8. To recover from disappointment
9. To make any experience more fun
10. To release frustration
11. To focus the mind
12. To relax the body
13. To develop a stronger musical ear
14. To improve body rhythm
15. To become a better listener
16. To work on skills of imitation
17. To develop memorization skills
18. To learn how to concentrate over time
19. To inspire the imagination
20. To understand storytelling better
21. To increase self-confidence
22. To experience a sense of doing something constructive
23. To learn new words
24. To expose yourself to many song styles
25. To improve math aptitude
26. To carry on family, religious, or state traditions
27. To make a contribution
28. To learn about history
29. To stimulate brain development
30. To discover personal tastes
31. To become a better communicator
32. To exercise the lips, tongue, mouth, and face
33. To improve articulation
34. To cause endorphins to flow
35. To help the brain learn to multitask
36. To speak with more eloquence
37. To learn about contrast and opposites
38. To share something special with others
39. To make music for free or inexpensively
40. To aid healing
41. To create a positive relationship with the self
42. To feel more grounded and present
43. To explore personal vocal range
44. To find a more natural speaking voice
45. To develop a sense of musical artistry
46. To release oxytocin, a natural stress reliever, in the brain
47. To sleep better at night
48. To strengthen your heart
49. To improve your posture
50. To feel safe and secure
51. To exercise the lungs, abdomen and rib muscles
52. To boost your immune system
53. To open up your sinuses and respiratory tubes
54. To develop a healthier breathing pattern
55. To experience joy
56. To feel individual power
57. To get involved in the arts
58. To have the experience of reaching goals
59. To alleviate some symptoms of depression
60. To encourage creativity through song invention or adaptation
61. To appreciate all forms of music better
62. To make the most of your vocal potential
63. To notice nuance and subtlety in vocal performances
64. To improve the quality of your signing voice
65. To participate in something positive
66. To better appreciate a variety of human experiences
67. To develop a sense of command over your voice and body
68. To develop leadership skills in a community
69. To make your life rich with song
70. To remember you are an instrument