Should I Encourage my Child to Join the Choir?

Let’s be honest. There was a time when choirs were perhaps considered by children to be a bit lame. However, recent TV talent shows, films and television programmes have blown that conception away for good. Children now understand that choirs come in all shapes and sizes, sing modern pop songs, and are a great place to meet new friends. It’s estimated that almost 3 million people in the UK sing in a choir and, with thousands of choirs around the country, they’ve never been easier to join.

The benefits of singing

It’s a great idea to encourage your child to join a choir for several reasons, but one of the main ones is the range of benefits that singing can bring. Physically, singing promotes good breathing and posture, improves circulation, and works our deep, core muscles. There’s also evidence to suggest that singing boosts the immune system. It’s good for mental wellbeing, too. Singing stimulates the release of beneficial chemicals in the brain, which improve mood and lessen anxiety. It also provides a chance to switch off, disconnect, and focus on something fun for a while. 

The benefits of singing in a choir

Singing also brings benefits by promoting social interactions and helping children to work and play alongside others. In fact, being part of a singing group has been shown to “fast track” social development in children.

A choir is made of many people, who all take on different roles within the company. By joining a choir, your child will meet people from all walks of life and, crucially, will be given an active part of performing alongside them. Being part of a choir gives children the chance to achieve something as a group. This needn’t be just competitions. Simply working toward the end goal of perfecting a song is a fulfilling and positive experience.

Many choirs will put on their own shows or, as mentioned, enter competitions. Doing these things will give your child the chance to stand on stage and perform - something that not everyone gets to experience. They’ll feel the rush that comes from singing to a live audience and from that moment on will have picked up a hobby for life.

Finding and joining a choir

Finding a local choir is easy. As mentioned, there are thousands across the country. Choirs come in a variety of guises, from those run in schools to church choirs, children’s choirs and community choirs. They’re easy to find. A simple search on the web should bring up plenty, though you may need to refine your search to “community choir”, “youth choir” or “children’s choir” to get the best results.

Community choirs are an excellent choice. They’re all about having fun making music and rarely require any sort of audition to join. So even if your child thinks they can’t sing, it doesn’t matter. In fact, the choirmaster will probably coach them to find some amazing skills they didn’t even realise they had. Even choirs that hold auditions - such as some of the more formal church choirs - don’t ask for previous music experience or knowledge. Instead, they’re looking for children who just love making music.

Photo by ChurchArt Online