49 | Vocalization Tools (Part 1)
Long gone are the days when a voice teacher plops a student beside the piano and makes them stand and sing by rote. I mean, singing by rote is an important skill, for sure, but we have SO MANY ways to engage our students and help them explore and discover their voices! Nikki Loney shares activities and inspiration for students of all ages. Super fun and effective ideas for private or small group classes.
Links and further study on this topic
Born to Sing Kids (blog)
Dana Lentini shares her fun tools and how she uses them to help singers to explore their voices. https://www.born2singkids.com/blog
Fun Tools (and where to find them)
Ultimate Music Theory White Boards
Perfect for everyday use in your student. Vocal expression lines are my favorite. https://ultimatemusictheory.com/
Tonic Sol-fa flashcards and wall cards
These FREE resources from FULL VOICE Music can be used for fun games and they make a good warm-up too! Solfege Hand Sign Wall and Flashcards
Straws and Kazoos
Kazoos are colorful and fun. They are also a fantastic semi-occluded vocal exercise. Find them on Amazon: Kazoos *Teacher Tip: Washing a Kazoo is easy. Warm water and dish soap and rinse until clean. Leave on a towel to dry.
Balls and bean bags (for toss and sing activities)
Plastic, foam, bumpy – the keyword is soft. Textured balls can be found everywhere including Amazon, Walmart, and specialty education sites (google textured balls, stress balls or sensory balls.) Juggling balls are soft and have a nice weight to them – plus they won’t bounce around the room if dropped. You can find them on Amazon, or you can make your own juggling balls (if you have that kind of time!).
Yoga Balls and Resistance Bands
Yoga balls and resistance bands are useful tools to engage the whole body. They come in different sizes and weights. They are not crazy expensive and can be found online and in most athletic stores.
Teacher Tip: There is always THAT student who will find a way to get hurt with such props. Be mindful when using these tools. (Ok, it was me who fell off the Yoga ball and smacked my head on the bookcase… just be careful.)
More Ideas…
Singing FUNdamental Toy Box by West Music
The Singing Fundamentals kit created by Lee Gwozdz (I have no idea how to pronounce that name!) includes toys, a 28-page instructional handbook on how to use the toys for vocal technique and development and a plastic storage bin. Use the toys to help with vowel formation, breathing, diphthongs, head voice, dyanmics, and more. https://www.westmusic.com/singing-fundamentals-toy-box-540041
