To say Dd can’t perform?

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DD (y7) is ND and can as a result lack self awareness. DD loves drama and performing and has signed up for part in the school musical. (All great so far) however she has come home super excited that she has been cast in a lead role. It seems she was cast “even though she missed the singing auditions…’

Unfortunately, she can’t sing a note…

The production is organised by the pupils themselves rather than teacher led which might explain the oversight?

AIBU to try and stop her continuing in the role as I’m really concerned she might become a joke?

I think that at the very least, you need to inquire about what’s going on and why she was cast.

Despite years of trying, I have a singing range of around five notes. I wish someone would have been honest with me back in high school, instead of acting like I could improve if only I just tried hard enough. No one is going to expect vocal brilliance from this show, but I’m sure they’re not expecting someone in this role to be a genuinely awful singer, either.

My DM made me go into school in primary school and swap out of singing role because I couldn’t sing.
I have never forgotten this, many decades later. It isn’t something to do to a dc. It doesn’t matter if she isn’t the best singer if she wants to do it. Just support your dc.

Support your DD. She will not become a laughing stock because her teachers will care that the show goes well and that the kids are secure and enjoying it.
Solos can change to being a song sang with a few others etc.

Do not worry; your daughter has been cast for valid reasons.

Please don’t sabotage her attempts to pursue something SHE believes she can do. This is no west end and it won’t matter if a part of her performance is not top notch. She will enjoy it and her self esteem will be immense. Help her get better at singing - improving a bit might be enough.

I think let your DD perform as you just don’t know how the whole show is going to be run at this stage. Maybe they will lip sync or use some audio tricks to have cast sing in tune.

I remember my mum acting like I was an awful singer when we were just singing Xmas carols as audience members out in public. She blocked her ears and made jokes how I couldn’t sing. I’m sure my singing wasn’t amazing but I can’t imagine turning to my DD and doing the same. My mum is a meanie though!

Could she do a Rex Harrison and speak her songs?

I can see your concern is that given a singing part she didn't audition for, when she isn't a singer, could lead to her being humiliated and no parent wants that.
Presumably they will hear her sing in rehearsals and if they feel she can't carry the part might try and change it or swap her out.
How does she think she sounds?

Can understand your predicament and think it’s clear this is coming from a place of protection rather than being unkind or critical. It’s ok to be strong in some areas and weaker in others, I don’t think it has to be crushing for kids to not be told they are amazing at everything. And you can still enjoy singing even if you’re not great at it - it’s just whether a musical in front of all your peers is the best place to do that.

(A little different as it’s adults) but it brought to mind the people not singing well on Xfactor and everyone commenting ‘why did nobody tell them?’ before going on national television. I think there’s been some good suggestions of how this could be raised gently.

This screams ‘Art Award’ project to me. The Art Award is an additional qualification taken in KS4 &/or Sixth form, in which students are required to produce an artistic piece of work (which is commonly the school play) with some coursework detailing their processes. While for your DD it’s just a fun extracurricular activity, the sixth formers putting on the show will be marked on overall execution. It would not be in their best interests to deliberately cast someone to make a mockery out of them as it will affect their overall grade. Therefore I believe that your daughter has been cast for sincere reasons.
May I ask what the show is and what character she has been cast as, as I may be able to explain why she may have been given that part and whether that role actually requires a strong voice, rather than just strong confidence (IYSWIM) as I am a bit of a theatre nerd so am familiar with most shows.

She thinks there is a couple of solos

It seems likely to me that she thinks wrongly, then.

What is a makaton choir?

Honestly I would be a bit concerned as it could be bullying and people thinking it is funny. Worth a word with the senco or music teacher. It could do damage to her confidence if people laugh.

https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=what+is+a+makaton+choir

OP, has she told you how she knows that she has been given a lead role in the musical, with solos to sing?

it sounds as though her difficulties with singing are really noticeable and other pupils would know this.

I would ask her who told her she had been picked for a singing role, just in case this was a joke on someone's part.

Not true! There are amazingky accomplished songers and musicians that age, especially in middle class areas and grammars.my kids' primary y5/6 did 'pirates of penzance' with some anazing soloists!

Whoever is directing will deal with it!

I’d be concerned that she’s been picked by other children precisely because she’s so bad.

Shows like x-factor were made on this exact basis. The worse you are, the greater the entertainment value.

It’s all very well saying children should be encouraged, but sometimes we also owe them honesty. It’s a difficult path, because there’s no easy way to do it.

When I was about 12 I insisted in signing up to a dance club in the summer holidays.

I have dyspraxia and ASD and am a terrible dancer but hadn’t done much before except joining in with cheesy songs with actions at family parties and doing a few “routines” for family with my sister so was unaware how awful I was.

I was bullied at school and my mum tried so hard to dissuade me and get me to join a different club out of love and worry I’d be teased.

During the club (kids of mixed ages) the other members constantly got me to dance alone by telling me how amazing I was then standing in a group watching, at the time I thought it was admiration.
I often came home filled with pride telling my mum how I was encouraged to dance for the other kids and she must have hated suspecting I was being humiliated, my ASD meant I was unaware that I was being laughed at.

My sister decided to join the dance club after switching from something else half way through and realised straight away what was going on. I was being told to do stupid moves like putting both hands on my crotch whilst bending my knees like being in a seated position and jumping forward 3 times then thrusting my crotch back and forwards and things like circling my hips like hula hooping whilst flapping my arms or being given fast complicated routines I struggled with and must have got completely wrong and looked clumsy and awkward.
I was also overweight but the other kids would twist my t shirt up in a knot with my belly showing, I was self conscious but they kept saying how graceful and sophisticated I looked and I was desperate to believe it so went along with it.

My sister told my mum who was furious and pulled me out straight away and had to explain gently that the other kids weren’t being genuine with praise. I still didn’t fully believe her unable to imagine anyone could be that cruel and was heartbroken.

When I went back to school after the summer holidays I was teased relentlessly about my dancing, the other kids were doing impressions of me doing the stupid moves I was taught and pretending the ground was shaking like an earthquake.
I realised I had just been a joke and felt so full of embarrassment and shame and anger, I still get upset thinking of it as an adult and I’m just grateful mobile phones weren’t around to video me.

I wish my mum had stepped in more but I do understand she didn’t want to dull my enthusiasm and didn’t know what to do for the best.

If OP’s daughter is at risk of going through what I did then I think she needs to do all she can to prevent it. Kids can be very cruel and don’t let things like this go. I was teased until I had to move schools and but we were in a small town so even kids at my new school heard about it and it was part of the reason I started refusing school and never returned.

I’m 41 and still remember those horrible dance moves and routines and sometimes picture how stupid I must have looked doing them. I struggled to trust anyone being nice or giving me a compliment for years after that summer.
Unless you go through it people underestimate the damage being humiliated on a large scale like that does to your self esteem and how much it can affect you, I appreciate I’ve given an extreme example that’s unlikely to happen but lots of people posting don’t seem to be aware of what kids are capable of.

There's also the other possibility that they cast her in the part having seen her act, asked her if she could sing, and thought "that'll be okay".
Then when they hear her sing, they drop her from the part - and it will be obvious why they do. That could be a huge knock to her confidence.

It's also a good question how did she learn this?
Because I'm wondering if it could have been something like the people auditioning (I think you said they were 6th form) asking something like:
"Would you like to be <main part>?" Meaning would you like to be considered for it, but she's taken it as they were offering her that part.

They are kids singing and some are better than others. If they are amazing then they aren’t they in the west end?!