Why Is The Voice The Most Powerful Instrument?

• We're born with it and start using it at birth
• Babies match musical pitches with it as early as 3-4 months of age
• Early voice training enhances excellence in language development
• It's the only instrument that's not man-made
• It's used for both singing and speaking (these two are inseparable)
• We communicate our deepest thoughts and feelings with it
• Each voice is unique ' no one else can have one like it
• You can't buy it in a store
• If it breaks, you can't replace it

Why Is It The Least Understood?

• It's inside your body
• It's controlled by your mind
• Few people have had private voices lessons
• Fewer people are trained to teach voice
• Myths about it are more common than knowledge about it

Myths About Singing

• Only gifted/talented people with a natural ear can learn to sing
• I'm tone-deaf or my child is tone-deaf
• Singing lessons shouldn't begin until the late childhood or teen years
• It's just a fun thing to do and has no other purpose than entertainment

Myth Debunkers

• "I firmly believe that a person can be taught to sing...Tone deafness is a very rare phenomenon that involves people who actually have hearing problems. What a lot of people mistake for tone deafness is a difficulty with finding pitches. I've taught them how to find those notes." - Dan Manjovi, Vocal Couch, HB Studio, New York (most good voice teachers agree & my own experiences confirm these facts)

• To be developed properly, it [the singing voice] must begin in the early childhood years...The vocal range is remarkably wide from birth. Infants can imitate and experiment with their vocal instruments: and even match pitch as early as three to four months of age...young children can develop the use of their singing voices during the remaining early childhood years." - Lili M. Levinowitz, Ph.D., Rowan University of New Jersey, Glassboro.

• "Singing not only promotes important language and literacy skills, but also fosters the connections in the brain that will later be used for math and problem-solving. Singing, listening to music, and doing rhythmic activities such as clapping or marching with music all support a child's literacy and brain development." - Paula Anderson, University of California Cooperative Extension, Auburn, CA

• "The power of song can help children retain and internalize important letter/sound relationships, spelling patterns, and phonics rules." - Dr. Myrna Ross Gifford, Action Factor, Inc., President & CEO

• "Singing is an important part of preschool literacy, too, because it builds memory, vocabulary, and the ability to follow directions and switch sounds around." - Marcia Levy, Sarah Lawrence Early Childhood Center in Bronxville, New York

It's Never Too Early Or Too Late To Learn

• We know that babies can match pitches as early as 3-4 months and that the best age to train their inner musical ears for singing is from 0-6
• That doesn't mean they can't learn after age 6
• It's easier to train little ears than you might think, so start now!