Few things can bring a grown-up to tears more readily than a child singing. Why else would videos of kids singing on shows like X-Factor continue to get hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube? But there’s a fine line between helping your kids on the path to their musical dreams and becoming a pageant parent. The key is knowing what age to start voice lessons for your child.
Technically, there isn’t one universal age for kids to start singing. But there are a few questions you can ask yourself to determine if your child is ready.
How Mature Are They?
Because you don’t have to deal with finger placement or tuning, you may assume that voice lessons are easy. But in voice lessons, you are the instrument, and sometimes, trying to figure out how to play yourself can be just as challenging as playing the guitar. It takes maturity and concentration to work with a teacher on skills like that for thirty minutes at a time, so gauge your kid’s maturity when trying to choose what age to start voice lessons for your child.
Where Is Their Heart?
A kid may like to kick around a soccer ball with their friends without wanting to join a team. Likewise, a child may enjoy singing along to the radio without wanting to undergo vocal training. Objectively gauge how much you notice your child singing and how much they seem to enjoy it. And you can feel free to ask your child, too. If they’re genuinely want to sing, they’ll see lessons as fun instead of a chore.
How Is Their Voice?
When we ask, “How is their voice?” we don’t mean, “Do they sound like Broadway’s next Little Orphan Annie?” Our voices change as we get older, and this is especially true for kids. You can still learn the skills and strengthen your voice throughout your childhood, but it’s often easier to begin formal lessons once a child has started puberty and their voice has settled into their true range.
The Final Verdict
How do you decide what age to start voice lessons for your child? As we said, there isn’t a hard-and-fast number. Most kids hit puberty between the ages of 10 and 14. At that point, they are typically mature enough to handle the work and are more aware of what they want to do and how they want to spend their time. But some kids are genuinely ready earlier, and that’s OK, too.
Whatever their age or vocal prowess, our Portland voice lessons will help your child make the most of the most powerful instrument they have: their voice.
