Singing has physical, emotional and social benefits. Whether you sing in a group or individually, singing classes can boost your confidence and self esteem. And it’s lots of fun!
At Jigsaw, students aged 7 – 18 take part in an hour of singing as part of their 3 hour performing arts session. The younger students aged 3 – 6 years do a more basic singing session for 30 minutes of their one and a half hour session. Watch our video to see inside a typical Jigsaw singing class:
Six ways singing classes can help benefit children’s development:
- Singing exercises help to improve children’s quality of speech and encourage good vocal technique.
- Singing enriches a child’s understanding of music and introduces them to a variety of musical styles.
- Whilst singing, you exercise your lungs, tone up your intercostal muscles, diaphragm and facial muscles, open up your sinuses and respiratory tubes, and improve your posture. A singing work out!
- Singing strengthens concentration and memory. Children can become more mentally alert.
- Singing broadens expressive communication. In performance, children are encouraged to act through the song.
- Singing brings children together and encourages a sense of community.
What happens in a Jigsaw singing class?
For the 7 – 18 year-olds, each class starts with a vocal warm up, preparing them for the songs they will be learning and performing. A vocal warm up includes exercises for the following:
- Posture and Breathing
- Jaw and Facial Exercises
- Scales
- Placement
- Articulation
The students then put all their techniques into practise through a warm up song, sometimes sang in a round. The warm up section is repeated each week to increase the student’s confidence in their vocal technique.
Learning the main song of the session involves learning the tune, harmonies, understanding the text and creating a performance.
Songs from a variety of genres are taught to keep the children engaged, taking into consideration the interests of the group.
The 3 – 6 year-old students follow the same structure as the older students but at a more basic level. We use lots of imagery when teaching vocal techniques and new songs, to keep the exercises fun for the young students. We use a lot of repetition to really build their confidence in singing.
Teachers also use lots of Disney songs, musical theatre and light pop songs in order to keep their interest and energy going.
Read more about dance classes and drama classes at Jigsaw, or use the form below to find a Jigsaw school near you.
