Students
who struggle to match pitch (I sometimes call them “Free Spirit Singers”) present
special challenges for choir directors at all levels. On the one hand, we want to invite as many students
as possible into musical experiences, but we also want to ensure a high level
of success for our choirs as a whole.
How is it possible to bring students who struggle with this most basic
element of music into the choral music family without detracting from the experience
of other choir members?
Before
I attempt to answer the question, allow me to share a personal experience. A very dear relative of mine was told at a
young age that she couldn’t sing. To
this day, she still refuses to even try.
Similarly, when I started taking piano lessons (at age 8), I planned to
come home and teach my mother what I learned each day (she also wanted to learn
to play). During the very first attempt,
I said, “Mom, you just don’t have it!”
She has never let me forget those words and has never allowed me to fix
my mistake.
The
truth is, our words have power for both good and evil, and will bless or haunt
students for many years after they leave our classrooms. This is magnified due to the personal nature
of the voice—we can’t buy a new voice as one might buy a new clarinet, so any
perceived insult regarding the quality of a voice can scar a young person for
life. Phrases like “just mouth the words”
or “don’t sing this song/concert” can have profound, long-term effects on a
student’s musical journey.
But it
doesn’t have to be this way. I have yet
to meet a single person who wanted to learn to sing, but couldn’t. With unceasing positivity, some one-on-one
training (even five minutes once a week can have an impact), and a solid work
ethic, no one is a hopeless case.
The key is to look for root causes,
of which there may be many. A Free
Spirit Singer may not understand our terminology; perhaps they don’t have the
proper concept of “high” and “low”. To
find out, ask them to sing or use a piano to demonstrate a high pitch or a low
pitch. They may have an issue with
hearing or processing auditory information.
Play or sing two different pitches, one after the other, and see if they
can tell you which is higher. Start with
wide leaps before bringing the two notes closer together.
They may have problems with discerning
changes in pitch. Ask them to sing a
note (always start with where they are, not where you want them to be) and then
match them (this is a great time to make sure they actually understand the
term, “matching pitch”). Move to a slightly
higher or lower pitch and see if they follow you. Ask them if they recognized a change in
pitch. With success in close ranges, progress
through larger intervals.
Other students may have difficulty
concentrating, and changes in classroom management techniques could help. For those with short-term memory or audiation
issues, encouraging students to think the pitch before they sing it can develop
these skills over time. Some voices may
struggle to match pitch simply because they are changing and what used to work
no longer does. In my experience, breathing
and vocal production are the most common culprits, and regular, traditional
vocal training will gradually fix the problem (again, individual instruction
will prove most beneficial in these cases).
Finally, vocal damage is a possible cause even for very young students,
and suggesting that these students visit a speech therapist is the best option
(but be careful not to diagnose anything—that isn’t your responsibility).
In closing, I offer my ten commandments for helping Free Spirit Singers:
I.
Thou shalt NOT call a “skill” a “gift”. Neither shalt thou call it a “talent”.
II.
Thou shalt NOT ask a Free Spirit Singer to match
a note on the piano.
III.
Thou shalt NOT ask a Free Spirit Singer to match
a random note you are singing.
IV.
Thou shalt NOT ask a Free Spirit Singer to “lip-synch”,
“not sing”, “sing quietly”, or “sing silently”.
·
This even applies to the most important concert
of the year.
V.
Thou shalt NOT diagnose medical conditions.
VI.
Thou SHALT find ways to work individually with
free spirits.
VII.
Thou shalt ALWAYS be positive and encouraging.
·
Being a free spirit is not a disease. It is a skill that hasn’t yet been learned
(just like spelling, calculus, or rocket science).
·
Even the slightest improvement should receive
the loudest praise.
·
Praise the work, not the ability.
VIII.
Thou shalt analyze the root cause(s) before
treating symptoms.
IX.
Thou shalt make a plan for strengthening skills
and overcoming challenges.
X.
Thou shalt prepare Free Spirit Singers for a
long journey of hard work.
·
No sugar coating. Anyone who wants to learn to sing can learn
to sing, but they have to be willing to work at it.
