What's the best way for a 7yo to develop his singing?

[franch]

7yo nephew has just had a note home from his school music teacher saying he is unusually gifted with his singing voice and SIL should do something about it. No specific suggestions tho. SIL doesn't particularly want to get him into anything too serious and isn't interested in the Stagecoach/all dancing all acting route, but feels she should act on this advice in some way.

What's the best, most enjoyable thing at this stage? A choir? One to one tuition, or some sort of group?

They're in Beckenham.

[lljkk]

What lovely news for them.
Are they religious? Even mildly Christian? Church choir? I'd go for a group to sing with because they like being sociable at this age, make peer pressure into a good thing.

[doughnuts]

how lovely - I should think a choir would be good - I'm trying to persuade ds to join a new one starting up locally in September.

[franch]

Great advice - thanks both. Not religious but will see if I can find a choir - any advice on researching this?

[ElenyaTuesday]

My two boys have recently joined a church choir and we are not church goers at all - they really enjoy it (especially getting paid for singing at weddings!).

They found out about it when the Choir master visited their school but I suppose you could trying phoning local churches and asking if they have junior choirs? Or does his music teacher know of anyone?

[islandofsodor]

Not one to one tuition at his age. It is too hard on a 7 year olds developing voice and would probably put him off. Some sort of group singing activity where the leader knows about young voices would be good. My husband would refuse (and has in fact already refused several) 7 year olds on the grounds it would be unethical to give one to one lessons at this age.

Unfortunately in some areas these type of groups can be thin on the ground, I am assuming there is no school choir? At my daughter's school there is a singing club and a choir for the older ones.

Enquire if the local music service has any singing provision or try the church choir route being aware that many choir leaders in churches are organists rather than singers.

[Skribble]

I went to a non religious choir called the entertainers, we sang in Old folks homes, supermarket charity days and things like that. Might be something like that localy.

[RosaLuxembourg]

DD1 and 2 (9 and 7) go to a group singing lesson - it's musical theatre-based though. Their group (six of them) are performing in a concert in two weeks time - I haven't heard them sing yet but they are really enjoying the lessons. It seems to be a good mix of work and fun.