Many young children love to sing. So should you harness your 5-year-old’s delightful warbling for a choir? Dr. Steven McCollum answers some specific questions about when and whether you should consider choral training for your child—today on Home School Heartbeat, with host Mike Farris.
Mike Farris:
Steve, last time you explained some of the benefits of participating in a choir. Today, I want to ask a couple of specific questions that homeschooling parents might have. When should parents start really thinking about choral education? And is there an age that students will begin to get the most out of choir?
Dr. Steven McCollum:
I would say that, as long as the content and the setting is age appropriate, start your children as early as possible, depending upon the child’s developmental readiness, of course. The earlier a youngster starts, the earlier he or she begins to develop a sense of poise which will naturally displace the common fear of speaking or performing in public.
Mike:
Would you say that choir is for just about everybody? What about kids who don’t have any apparent musical talent? I mean, what if they can’t carry a tune in a bucket?
Steve:
Well, my advice to parents is always to have your children try everything. Give youngsters as many opportunities as possible to discover their talents and strengths. Making these discoveries early in life provides more time to develop a youngster’s strengths, and minimizes the areas where they are less gifted. This allows parents to guide the student’s development and avoid potential frustration. Including music education in this process can offer a refining and rewarding pursuit in a young person’s development.
Mike:
Steve, thanks so much for joining me this week to talk about choral music—it’s been a real pleasure to have you. I’m Mike Farris.
