Kindergarten students are working on using their singing voices in class. We work on discovering the many kinds of voices we have; speaking, calling, whispering, and singing voices. The goal is to have students discover their singing voice and become comfortable using it in class. We use tricky bird (a slide whistle) puppets, and spooky sounds to experiment and have fun finding our singing voices. We have animals that live in "arioso land" a land where the animals only understand singing. You can encourage your child's experiments at home too. Sing with them, applaud their singing efforts and encourage them to create sounds with their toys- i.e. What kind of voice would this toy use? Play "I hear with my little ear something that's making a ____________ sound" and see if your child can detect the bird singing, or squirrels rustling through the leaves, a dog barking etc. (It's a version of "I spy with my little ear something_______.)
As you listen to the students efforts of sharing their singing voices you'll notice that each student has a different comfort level with singing solo, some like the limelight, others are shy. Several students are using their singing voices, some are even on pitch. Singing in tune is a skill that improves with practice and can be taught. It's true some students naturally sing beautifully and all students can sing well with instruction and practice. It may simply be a matter of focus- the child may be concentrating on the text (words) or the rhythms or expressing the feeling of the piece and haven't had a chance to discover the way pitches move yet. Please applaud your child's efforts in this early performance of the year. I feel there is nothing sweeter! The kindegarteners are singing Oh, My No More Pie. Click on the links to watch a video. Yellow Group Blue Group Red Group
