How to help youngsters discover their singing voices

Researchers say that almost everyone is born with a musical inclination, a sense that develops gradually with age, depending on the right kind of exposure and practice. So, if your youngster shows interest in music and tries to find his or her singing voice, it’s time you, as a parent lend him or her some constructive help.  

Statistics say that most youngsters find their singing voices on their own. However, some struggle to find their original voice, even though they are intrigued and fascinated by vocal music. They may need help from time to time during the formative years as they face problems like having a limited range, lack of rhythm, comprehension and trouble matching pitches. However, this doesn’t mean they lack music potential. They need extensive vocal development. Like everything else, finding one’s singing voice also takes significant time and effort, apart from regular listening practice. Here are a few strategies to guide your youngsters discover their singing voice. 

Help them figure out the basics 
First, find songs of medium range suitable for the growing voice of your youngsters. They don’t cause any strain. Next, try to understand whether your child has access to their head voice, i.e., singing like the one that they want in their heads. And finally, is the youngster’s vocal model clear, i.e., can he or she sing without the support of any instrument? If yes, then the youngster might be slowly discovering his or her singing voice. 

Create opportunities for singing in different situations  
Allowing your youngster to sing alone makes her conscious of her own voice as she slowly begins to understand how to modulate it or fix the errors. This is especially helpful for the ones who struggle with their pitches or the ones who are shy by nature. In contrast, letting them sing in chorus helps them figure out how to control and manipulate their voices to accommodate with others. 

Encourage vocal exploration 
Vocal exploration is nothing but experimenting with different kinds of sounds using one’s voice. Technically, there are four voices, namely, speaking, singing, whispering and screaming. If all of these are practised for a few moments daily, youngsters learn to differentiate and find their distinct singing voices. This also helps them understand the act of rehearsals. Practising echo effects and other vocal sound effects that cover the entire vocal range is also beneficial for them to find their singing voices. 

Choose call and response songs  
Choosing call and response songs for your youngster’s practice session is a great way to develop awareness about their voice, sharpen their listening abilities and shape their overall musical personality. Taking help of change of the pace method alongside this call and response activity when singing in small groups is a guaranteed way to help youngsters discover their singing voices.