The Magic of Singing – 50 Reasons to Encourage Your Kids to Raise Their Voices

It happened a couple of years ago. My then 10-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 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

1. To lift spirits and lighten moods
2. To learn to express a range of feelings
3. To recognize song patterns, rhythms & rhymes
4. To find comfort or solace
5. To get involved in the arts
6. To improve articulation
7. To make any experience more fun
8. To release frustration
9. To encourage creativity
10. To relax the body
11. To inspire imagination
12. To develop a stronger musical ear
13. To become a better listener
14. To develop memorization skills
15. To recover from disappointment
16. To calm anxious nerves
17. To increase self-confidence
18. To learn new words
19. To expose yourself to different song styles
20. To improve math aptitude
21. To learn about history
22. To improve body rhythm
23. To stimulate brain development
24. To experience joy
25. To become a better communicator
26. To exercise the lips, tongue, mouth and face
27. To feel more grounded and present
28. To cause endorphins to flow
29. To develop leadership skills
30. To share something special with others
31. To aid healing
32. To carry on traditions
33. To improve the quality of your singing voice
34. To find a more natural speaking voice
35. To develop a sense of musical artistry
36. To release oxytocin, a natural stress reliever, in the brain
37. To sleep better at night
38. To improve your posture
39. To exercise the lungs, abdomen & rib muscles
40. To boost your immune system
41. To open up your sinuses and respiratory tubes
42. To develop a healthier breathing pattern
43. To feel individual power
44. To participate in something positive
45. To have the experience of reaching goals
46. To appreciate all forms of music better
47. To develop a sense of command over your voice and body
48. To make music for free or inexpensively
49. To remember you are an instrument
50. To make your life rich with song