Development from childhood to adulthood and beyond - The voice is an instrument

The Suzuki Voice Program teaches children aged prenatal to adulthood. It begins with the understanding that the voice is an instrument and each student’s individual needs will be addressed. Early vocal instruction begins in groups however all voice students progress to individual lessons at a very early age and are encouraged to perform as soloists when they are ready.

What starts in childhood is an acceptance of classical music and singing styles which are not usually introduced to students until much later. They learn to be relaxed natural singers – a great building block for the development of mature vocal students. Natural, silent breathing is encouraged and developed along with repertoire. Phrasing and beautiful tone are main teaching points in lessons – not just learning songs. Memory and performance skills are established early and progress accordingly. As the child’s vocal skills develop, reading is introduced as a separate skill – just as you learn to speak before you learn to read, you learn to sing well before you learn to read music.

In the beginning, the Suzuki Voice Program can be used as a method that enhances interaction between a parent and a child (during pregnancy - age 2). The teacher leads the activity in lessons and supports the relationship between the mother/father and the baby. The parents are taught the early steps of their child’s instrument. They are taught to listen and to feel comfortable singing the early repertoire. As the child becomes more independent (age 3 -), the interaction between a child and a teacher increases and the role of the parent will be more observing and supporting in lessons. Individual lessons in addition to group lessons are encouraged at this stage.

The Suzuki Voice teacher needs to understand the normal stages of child development to support the personal development of each child and awaken a love of music through singing. The aim of the Suzuki Voice Program is to begin with simple folk songs and graduate to more challenging levels of classical songs. In this way the student learns both musical and technical skills while being introduced to a wide range of classical vocal repertoire.