Some students walk in the door singing and dancing. If only that were the case for everyone.
Some students, believe it or not, hate singing at first. As music teachers, it is our job to try and turn this around. Here are some ways that I have found to help get these students out of their shell and hitting those high notes! (or at least following along with the rest of the class, lol.)
1. Start singing TO your students as early as possible.
Sing as they walk in the room. Sing as you take attendance. Sing as you give directions. YOU set the tone in your classroom. If you want it to be a place where music is created without inhibition, it starts with you!
2. Be clear about your singing expectations BEFORE students sing.
Before I have my students sing I remind them how much fun we have in music class. We get to play instruments and games and activities that are so special and exciting. Sometimes we can even be silly! However, when it comes to singing, I expect nothing but beautiful sounds. (This is when I put on my serious face.) I remind them that it is okay to not be perfect, but that singing badly on purpose is not allowed. At the same time, I remind them that there will be NO LAUGHING at other people’s singing, even if they are singing badly on purpose.
3. Make each student’s first solo short and easy.
I always do a “two note” singing test at the beginning of the marking period. I make sure the rest of the room is completely quiet and not looking at the student who is singing and I have each student imitate a two note pattern. I tell the students that if we can get through the test (shouldn’t take more than two minutes) with everyone doing their best and NO ONE laughing at anyone else’s singing, we will move on to some sort of reward (pianos, a game, etc.) This sets the pace for the rest of the year.
4. If you are working with older kids who are not accustomed to singing in music try giving them something FUNNY to sing.
If you are starting in a program where older students haven’t sung before, getting them to start may require a different strategy.
Starting with a parody song or a “rickroll” sing-a-long will take away the pressure to be good and replace it with the desire to make people laugh. You could even extend the fun by turning it into a music video project. Once you move on to more serious stuff, they can no longer claim they can’t sing because you’ve already heard them!
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