High school is an important and formative time where students are learning a lot about themselves, and this is a perfect time to pick up a new skill — especially singing! Even if your student doesn’t plan on studying music in college or pursuing singing as a career, there are endless benefits to singing lessons for teenagers!
Confidence
One of the biggest benefits of singing lessons for teenagers is developing more self-confidence. My students always end up singing higher than they thought they could, in languages they thought would be too difficult, and in front of crowds they thought would make them too nervous!
The experience of successfully conquering something they previously thought was too daunting gives them the confidence that they can do it the next time they encounter something difficult!
Work Ethic
Singing lessons provide both small goals (memorize this verse, sing a major scale, etc.) and long-term goals (expand your vocal range, perform a new song in front of a crowd, etc.) to work towards.
Being in charge of their own weekly practice can be a way for students to develop a good work ethic that will serve them for the rest of their lives. Dedication to their personal practice at home every week gives students the opportunity to build toward something on their own. They will see great results when they put the work in. And they’ll also see the consequences when they know they haven’t worked as hard as they could have.
Whereas younger students sometimes need sticker charts to do well and remember to practice, teenagers are often motivated enough by the reward of performing their song well!
Creative Outlet
I remember being so busy in high school and so bogged down by homework and extracurricular activities, but I looked forward to music rehearsals every chance I got.
I know voice lessons can seem like just adding one more thing on to the load. However, it can be such a relief to work on something you truly love to do. Students need outlets to put their energy towards something creative and less stressful than their school and social lives. Voice lessons can also provide extra community for the student with another adult who cares about their well-being and a studio full of singers and even choirs and community theater groups.
Good Vocal Health
By about twelve or thirteen, students are physically ready to start learning some real singing technique. While everyone can sing and every body was built to sing, not every voice is supposed to sound the same.
Young singers without any guidance will be tempted to copy the voices they know and love from popular music. These singers are much older and sometimes aren’t using perfect vocal technique. Oftentimes, this results in unnecessary muscle tension and unhealthy singing technique. This can quickly become a habit if not addressed by a knowledgeable teacher. And, it can take a toll on their vocal longevity and potentially cause damage later in life if they continue singing this way.
High school is the perfect time for developing voices. During this time, students can build vocal habits that will help them be healthy singers for a lifetime. Teens can also benefit from learning how taking care of your whole body will positively impact your voice. These include things like sleeping well and staying nourished and hydrated.
Improving a Skill!
Perhaps the most obvious benefit of singing lessons for teenagers is learning to sing. This is a useful skill all on its own! If your student loves singing at church, voice lessons can help them work towards becoming stronger members of church choirs. Sometimes singing in a choir offers solos, harmonization skills, and sight reading practice.
If your student loves community theatre, voice lessons can help them prepare for an audition. They can also help them work on acting and singing simultaneously. And best of all, improve vocal technique to maintain their vocal health through long rehearsals and show weeks. And if your student loves writing and singing their own music, vocal lessons can help give them the tools to write these things down, maintain vocal health for live shows, and learn more ways to use their instrument.
This is also a wonderful time to discover if a career in music is something your child would like to pursue long-term. Voice lessons can prepare them for college auditions (scholarships!). And their teacher can give them an idea of the expectations of college music students.
There are endless benefits to learning to sing (effectively expressing emotion, learning new cultures and languages, and becoming a more collaborative musician), and the teenage years are such a wonderful time to begin.