March marks quite a few special observances: the International Women’s Day on the 8th, St. Patrick’s Day on the 17th, and Easter on the 27th. But you may not know that there is also a lesser-known event observed in March: the Sing With Your Child Month.
We believe that this is a wonderful idea and we are backed up by scientific research indicating that singing with children – starting as early as in infancy – offers a multitude of benefits.
Of course, a young baby is not able to sing with you; he or she will more likely gurgle along. But rest assured that even though the singing is one-sided, it is still a great bonding experience that fosters closeness and emotional comfort. As the child grows from babyhood to toddlerhood and beyond, singing together takes on a whole new dimension. It is still that wonderful “togetherness” moment, but scientists tell us that this activity also benefits the child in other ways: it helps develop language skills, encourages the child to express his or her emotions, and (hopefully) fosters the love of music that will last a lifetime. And there is also another benefit: your child will probably not notice (or care) if you are singing off-key! Now, when we talk about “singing with the children,” we don’t mean to suggest that this should be strictly a parent’s job. The image of entire families belting out tunes together is truly inspiring!
Everyone can raise his or her voice in a song, even though some people do it better than others. This is the so-called “recreational” singing and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. But if you would like to sing with power, passion and confidence, you may need lessons. Please contact us and one of our amazing teachers will come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office and help you whip your voice into the best possible shape before letting it out the door! There is a lot of work (but also much pleasure!) involved in developing the art of singing. The teacher will show you how to control your voice and the vocal components like the pitch, rhythm, volume, tone, and pace. He or she will also teach you how to use your abdomen muscles, develop proper breathing techniques, good posture, etc. All this is necessary not only to help your voice carry high and low notes, but also to keep your vocal chords in shape. All these are useful skills to have – not just to sing with your child, but raise your voice in a beautiful song whenever the mood strikes you!
