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Teaching Kids to Sing Volumes 1 and 2 is a set of two
DVDs plus a CD of accompaniment tracks taught by vocal coaches
Chris and Carole Beatty. The Beattys are seen working with
a choir of children ages 5-13. The DVDs feature interactive
lessons that the viewer can participate in at home. Volume
1 is titled "Building Foundations that Last," and it
covers the topics of posture, breathing, tone, and the importance
of warm-up exercises. For each section there are phrases that help
the children remember the technique. For example, the posture
section uses the following two phrases to teach children to stand
straight and tall: "I want the top of my head to be as
far away from the floor as possible" and "My body is
led by the top of my head." There are also songs that
go along with each topic. The songs have a Christian theme,
and lyrics for the songs are included inside the DVD case. Volume
2, titled "Essential Skills for Growing Voices," covers
the topics of rhythm, diction, and dynamics. Children
are also taught musical terms like "staccato" and "legato." There
is review of basic principles that were covered in Volume
1. Many warm-up exercises are included. Each song and
warm up exercise is on the accompaniment CD twice, once with vocals
and once with music only.
Teaching Kids to Sing is a good resource for anyone
interested in improving his or her vocal technique. It is
not only singers who will benefit from the material. Many
of the lessons, especially in Volume One, could also be valuable
to public speakers. The lessons are clearly presented, well organized,
and immediately applicable to the students' singing efforts. The
Beattys' enthusiasm for singing makes these DVDs fun to watch.
Product review by Whitney Dunahee, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine,
LLC, January 2011
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