Is your child excited about taking voice lessons — but ONLY wants to sing Taylor Swift or Bruno Mars? Read on as Pittsburgh, PA teacher Jennifer V. shares two secrets to introducing him or her to classical music without a fight…
If you’ve ever been to a classical music performance, you know that the audience is usually filled with older people. This isn’t because young people don’t enjoy classical music – it’s because many parents haven’t introduced their children to this type of music yet.
If you want to get your child interested in singing classical music, here are a few tips.
What is Classical Singing?
It can be difficult to describe what classical singing is, as it is such a broad and diverse genre. However, there are some key characteristics that are common to most classical singers:
- Classical singers tend to have very trained and powerful voices.
- They are able to sing with a great deal of control and precision, and often have a wide range.
- Classical singing is usually very expressive. Singers strive to convey the emotion of the music through their performance, and often use a great deal of dynamics and nuance.
- Finally, classical singing is often very technically demanding. Many classical pieces require the singer to execute complex vocal runs or rapid changes in pitch, which can be challenging even for experienced singers.
Ultimately, classical singing is a highly skilled and demanding art form, but one that can be tremendously rewarding for both performers and audiences alike.
To get acquainted with how to sing classical music, make sure you sign yourself (and/or your child) up for singing lessons! You’ll learn everything you need to know about this fun genre, plus tips and techniques that can apply to any genre, like what you see below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huqdwhVX9TI
Can Classical Music Have Singing?
Can classical music have singing? This is a question that has long troubled scholars and music lovers alike.
The answer, it turns out, is not as straightforward as one might think. On the one hand, classical music is typically thought of as instrumental music, with singing relegated to opera and other vocal genres.
On the other hand, many of the greatest works in the classical repertoire do include singing, from Bach’s Mass in B Minor to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. So what is the answer?
Ultimately, it seems that there is no definitive answer. Whether or not singing can be considered part of classical music depends on how one defines classical music. For some, the presence of singing automatically disqualifies a piece from being considered classical.
For others, the defining feature of classical music is not its instrumentalism but its quality, with any work that meets this standard being worthy of the label. In the end, whether or not classical music can have singing is a matter of opinion.
How to Get Your Child Pumped to Sing Classical Music
Sometimes really cool things can get a reputation for being weird, boring, or even scary. Take classical music, for example. As parents, you might be thinking of enrolling your kids in classical voice lessons or constantly playing Beethoven at home because of everything you’ve heard about the benefits of learning music.
Unfortunately, many teachers (and parents) push classical songs on students without making it fun. Picture this: your child has a few voice lessons and everything is going swimmingly, then one day, she walks in the door with a big heavy book of foreign language songs and a look of panic in her eyes. Your heart sinks; you know that look. It’s the look that ended ballet lessons, and why the violin is in the attic with the tap shoes. The look plainly says, “I don’t wanna do this, I want to stop taking voice lessons.” So what do you do next?
First, don’t worry! Sometimes all it takes is sitting down with your child and looking at things from a different perspective. Music, after all, is a timeless way to not only enrich our children, but also connect with them!
Here are some tips to do just that:
1. Listen to the Music (oh yeah!)
Before lessons begin, take some time to listen to music that has pieces of classical and rock in them. Electric guitars that play with opera singers can be very cool to listen to! Bruno Mars and Taylor Swift can sound great with piano but they can also sound totally amazing with violin.
Other examples are Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Barcelona” by Freddy Mercury and Montserrat Caballé. The latter has a lot of fireworks and huge drums — watch it below:
“Lacrymosa” by Evanescence is another great example, based on the Lacrimosa movement from Mozart’s Requiem. There are so many amazing examples when you really look and listen! Continue looking for songs like these to give your child a taste of classical songs.
2. Talk about the Tunes
After listening to music like this, try chatting about it! You don’t have to be a Puccini expert to do this. Ask questions like: “Wow, so what did you think of that guitar solo?” and “What if you were to add some drums in that part of song, how do you think that would sound?” Sometimes a few casual questions can lead to some really amazing conversations, and the idea of studying and singing classical songs won’t seem as archaic.
3. Listen to Your Child
Listening and finding a way to relate classical music to your child’s interests can really make a huge difference. Active listening goes a long way in the classroom, but it also makes a huge difference when introducing a new activity.
4. Find Good Examples of Classical Music for Singing
Many parents want their children to be interested in classical music, but they don’t know where to start. A good place to begin is by finding examples of classical music that are specifically written for singing.
There are many excellent resources available online and in print, and these can help to introduce your child to the genre in a fun and engaging way. Look for music that is age-appropriate and has a catchy melody that your child will enjoy singing.
You can also find classical music that has been adapted for children’s voices, which can make it even more accessible and enjoyable.
With a little bit of effort, you can easily find classical music that both you and your child will enjoy Singing together.
How Do You Sing in Classical Style?
Now, the next question is this – how to sing classical music the right way.
Classical singing is a unique and challenging style of vocal performance. Unlike other genres, classical singing requires the use of proper technique in order to produce a clear, pure tone.
This means that proper breath support and vowel placement are essential for good classical singing. Additionally, vibrato is often used in classical singing to add richness and depth to the tone. To produce vibrato, singers will need to use different muscles than they would for other styles of singing.
As a result, good classical singing technique can take years of practice to master. However, the effort is well worth it, as a beautiful classical voice can truly be a thing of beauty.
Sign Up for Classical Music Singing Lessons Today!
Introducing classical music to your child can be a great way to help them develop a love of music and improve their cognitive skills.
There are many ways to introduce classical music to your child, and each one can be enjoyable for both you and your little one. Classical music has been shown to have a number of benefits for children, so it’s definitely worth giving it a try!
If you haven’t signed up for singing lessons yet, go forth and give it a shot — find out how much Brahms and Bohemian Rhapsody can enrich your child’s life!
Jennifer V. teaches singing and music performance in Pittsburgh, PA. She received her Bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University, a Master of Music degree and Artist Diploma from Duquesne University, as well as a Certificate of Contemporary Vocal Pedagogy from Shenandoah Universtiy. Learn more about Jennifer V. here!
Photo by Electric Images
Suzy S.