This is a busy time of year for celebrations and festivals, and you may be expected to lead groups of young singers. So it is important to think about how to help children's singing voices and to take care of your own voice.
Many of us feel shy about singing out in front of others, and concerned about singing 'well enough'. What is important is that yours is a voice that the children know, as you and they become familiar with songs. Here are some ideas to help.
* Get to know the songs really well, by listening to CDs and singing along, or asking others to show you how the tune goes.
* Plan with others. This will help focus on why one song might be better than another and what instruments or props might be helpful.
* Taking care of your voice is essential. Maintaining a quiet, strong voice rather than a high-pitched, loud one will encourage children's attentive listening. Drink plenty of water to avoid dryness, and ask your colleagues to help you with singing.
When leading, be clear about when children should only listen and when to sing. Sing the song all the way through at least once before expecting them to join in. If you want them to sing with you, give them their starting pitch by singing 'Ready, let's go'.
Using hand and arm movements can be very helpful to show when the tune moves up or down. Just like adults, children need lots of repetition to get to know particular songs and to develop singing skills.
* Songs with short phrases, few big leaps and helpful activities to encourage children to use their singing voices can be found in 'Voiceplay', ISBN 0-19-321060-6, and 'Singing Games and Rhymes for Early Years', ) National Youth Choir of Scotland.
