Music With Ms. Annette: Voice Lessons for Children Through Teens

In a private voice lesson, we will work together to build strong foundations of vocal technique. Lessons will begin with a physical warm up, breath work, and a vocal warm up. We will work together on age-appropriate musicianship, technique, and repertoire, all leading to performance skills. Singers will be encouraged to discover, learn, and grow their own unique voices.

Ms. Annette teaches group and private lessons at all levels-- 
Discovery Singers (Ages 5 through 7)
Discover all the amazing things your voice can do! Be prepared for a "musical workout" that includes movement and vocal warmups, pitch exploration, echo songs, active listening and responding to music, and simple age-appropriate repertoire. We'll focus on matching pitch, beautiful singing, and responding to different types of music. We'll lean into the brain-body connection and connecting the breath to the body as we practice the fundamentals of breathing, posture, and basic vocal anatomy.

Learning Singers (Ages 8 through 10)
Whether your singer is building on the foundations of the Discovery Singer lessons or learning them for the first time, we will continue to work on breathing, posture, pitch exploration, musicianship, mindfulness, and connecting body, breath, and voice. Singers will also be introduced to solfeggio and sightreading skills. Repertoire at this age will be a combination of new and familiar songs and we will explore a variety of genres together.

Growing Singers (Ages 11 through 13)
Your growing singer might be brand new to singing or may be building on the skills and musicianship from prior lessons. As we get ready for the voice changes to come, we will work on singing in all registers-- head, chest, and mix voices. Singers at this age often become more interested in pop music, and if this is added to their repertoire, we will work on singing contemporary music in a safe and healthy way. Pre-adolescent singers are ready to take ownership of their lessons and practice and will focus on practice making progress as they set goals and build their confidence.

Transitional Singers (Assisting Young Singers through the First Voice Change)
Voice changes can be scary for young men and women, and at this stage the goal is confidence and continued ownership as they get to learn their "new voices." Like their voices, their lessons are transformative as they explore new notes, genres, and songs. Singers are encouraged to use lessons as a time to try new ways of singing in a safe, judgement-free environment. Flexibility and mobility in movement, vocal repertoire, and attitudes are encouraged!

Continuing Singers (Post-Voice Change Teens or 14 through 18)
As your singer's voice settles, they are ready to embrace a growth mindset that encourages ownership, responsibility, and goal setting. Singers will practice regularly, engage in self-reflection and repertoire building, and build a store of physical and vocal exercises that can then be applied to singing songs. Both classical (Bel Canto) and contemporary techniques will be taught as students are empowered to find their own unique voice.

Ms. Annette uses a five-step process that focuses on games, movement, and imagination in the younger years, moving more towards repertoire and standard vocal exercises as your child grows. Regardless of age, each lesson contains mind and body warmups, mindful breathing, musicianship skills and exercises, vocal warmups and explorations, and age-appropriate repertoire. All lessons-- group and individual-- have a constructivist approach where singers are invited to bring their own ideas and interests so we can create music and learn together. Because of this approach, every  session is different, allowing your child to take the class as often as they would like.

In addition to the above, singers will be encouraged in sight reading and ear training methods and will be guided on good practice skills and vocal hygiene. Singers will be encouraged to share music that interests them. Ms. Annette enjoys teaching all genres, including folk songs, musical theater rep, jazz, pop music, and children's songs.

PLEASE NOTE: Lessons are intended to be an ongoing experience and should be scheduled in 4-week to 12-week blocks. The first lesson is a "getting to know you" lesson and is not reflective of what the lesson structure will be. If you have different needs, such as an audition coaching, please reach out to Ms. Annette before signing up. Thank you!