Could you enthuse kids about the science of singing?

How could you pitch it. Have you ever seen that brilliant you can make with a couple of balloons and an old plastic drink bottle. If you get a chance check it out. its a brilliant way to show how it all works. I have been singing and teaching for 20 years and i learned something from that little experiment.  I’d have kids make that model. I don't know if you have ever seen a video the vocal folds working via larynxoscopy. Pretty fascinating and pretty weird. I can just hear a bunch of kids shouting “gross” They would enjoy it though. the last thing I would get them interested in is the possibility of breaking glass with the voice. Can it really be done. There is so much science right there and huge potential for comedy. I’ll give you a hint, you have to sing a note at the exact frequency the glass vibrates at when you flick it with something or if you wet your finger and rub it around the rim. I think it could be a pretty good incursion. an extraordinary incursion…..

Can you teach a tone deaf person to sing in tune?

Look its a long hard road. I think the first thing you have to ascertain is “Is this person tone deaf?” can the student hear that they are singing out of tune? If the student has no idea they are off then thats the first thing to be done is to help the student hear that they are off. They may never get there.  If the student says “ yeh I’m way off” then there is hope. start with one note and patiently correct the student until they get there. If they can hear they are off then they’ll get there. Then slowly move a semitone and back, then a tone and so on. Sing with the student to reinforce the melody when you can and drop out. Let them sing alone for a bit then jump back in when the trainer wheels fall off and they wobble. 

Kids and the science of singing

How could you pitch it. Have you ever seen that brilliant you can make with a couple of balloons and an old plastic drink bottle. If you get a chance check it out. its a brilliant way to show how it all works. I have been singing and teaching for 20 years and i learned something from that little experiment.  I’d have kids make that model. I don't know if you have ever seen a video the vocal folds working via laryngoscopy. Pretty fascinating and pretty weird. I can just hear a bunch of kids shouting “gross” They would enjoy it though. the last thing I would get them interested in is the possibility of breaking glass with the voice. Can it really be done. There is so much science right there and huge potential for comedy. I’ll give you a hint, you have to sing a note at the exact frequency the glass vibrates at when you flick it with something or if you wet your finger and rub it around the rim. I think it could be a pretty good incursion. an extraordinary incursion…..