It happens all the time. I hear it in my vocal studio. Kids, as young as 9 yrs old, have the beginnings of vocal damage. Yes, damage that can, if not corrected, permanently scar delicate vocal chord tissue. The child’s voice will forever be raspy and grating.

To prevent the damage before it goes beyond the point of repair is vital to your child’s vocal health – speaking and singing. There is nothing wrong with your child’s voice. Everyone has a good voice. Damage comes from bad habits of using the wrong muscles to vocalize.

Bad habits begin when a kid imitates her favorite singers. Singing feels so powerful and free. Until it begins to hurt. The problem when she imitates Taylor Swift or Justin Bieber is that she is trying to imitate a sound that is not, well, human.

The vocal sounds you hear on a recording are electronically altered. Studio magic can completely change a singer’s sound by the twist of one little knob. That sound cannot be imitated with the human voice.

Most pop stars NEVER sing live in concert. They don’t sing live, because if they did you wouldn’t recognize their sound. You can easily see for yourself on YouTube. Find the official then find a live, acoustic performance of the same song. You’ll hear a decided difference.

But kids are so desperate to feel the power and pleasure of singing, that they push and shove and squeeze to make the sound they hear on a recording. In other words, your child creates massive tension in her voice in an effort to sound like a star. She wants to feel the power and to sing those high notes. This is how the damage begins.

Signs of vocal damage:
1. Constant throat clearing
2. Breathy, rapsy quality
3. Vocal fatigue and/or hoarseness
4. Throaty, deep sound
5. Voice cracks and squeaks

Does your child exhibit any of the above? The best remedy is prevention. Catch the problem early and put a plan of action into place.

You do not have to stop your child from singing along. It’s too much fun! The answer is to give your child a bit of knowledge and the proper tools to sing naturally without sounding ‘trained.’

Steps to prevent vocal damage:
1. Play these 2 YouTube videos for your child of Train singing Hey Soul Sister. The first is the official music video; the second is a live acoustic performance. Awareness of the studio tricks can open your child’s eyes and relieve some performance pressure.
Official Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVpv8-5XWOI&ob=av2e
Acoustic Recording http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-7XPCNrD5Y
2. After your child has heard the recordings you have grounds to stress that using her real voice is the best. Just use the voice you talk with – simple and natural. Here’s one of my YouTube videos to demonstrate. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i_KB7s0gcE
3. Your comments about your child’s singing are much more significant than you might imagine. Keep your comments positive and encouraging.
4. If singing and music, theater or dance is your child’s passion, there is nothing you can do to talk her out of it. The arts choose us; we do not choose the arts.
5. Get the right vocal training NOW and prevent future damage. You are not only be preventing problems, but you are giving your child an invaluable gift.

Vocal training comes in many different packages from many different perspectives. Good singing lessons teach you how to use the right muscles to produce sound naturally. Good voice lessons demystify the singing process and make it easier to enjoy.

For the top vocal lessons online, visit SingLikeYouSpeak.com where can learn to sing as simply and naturally as you speak.

About the author

Sally Morgan is a professional vocal trainer with over 30 years of experience. Sally is also the creator and author of SingLikeYouSpeak(TM)!

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