Sing For Joy – for life! How singing in a choir can help your child not just now, but through their whole life.

GCSE results are out, and academic achievement is in the news once again. 

With this in mind we wanted to share with you the benefits singing in a choir can bring in supporting learning and developing knowledge, skills and behaviours that are so important in school, as well as a reminder that music is also there for those children who – for whatever reason – are destined to follow a different path.

So how can singing in a choir help your child? Here are a few of the ways…

• Brain Development:

Music engages multiple brain areas, strengthening neural connections and improving functions like memory, attention, and problem-solving. 

• Enhanced Language Skills:

Learning rhythm, patterns, and scales supports phonological awareness, a key component for reading and literacy. 

• Mathematical Abilities:

Music helps children understand concepts such as pattern recognition, which is fundamental to mathematical thinking. 

• Improved Focus:

Learning songs can enhance attentiveness and concentration, helping children stay on task during other academic activities. 

• Emotional Expression:

Music provides a safe and creative outlet for children to express their feelings, fostering emotional intelligence. 

• Teamwork and Social Skills:

Group singing encourage listening, cooperation, and sharing, building essential social skills and a sense of belonging. 

• Increased Confidence:

Mastering musical pieces and performing brings a sense of achievement; boosting self-esteem and confidence. 

• Discipline and Patience:

The structured process of learning a song cultivates self-discipline, perseverance, and patience. 

• Fine and Gross Motor Skills:

Dancing to music enhances gross motor skills.

• Auditory Discrimination:

Ear-training improves a child's ability to recognize subtle differences in sounds.

You can see from the above the wealth of positive benefits joining a choir can bring your child, in support of their development not just in school but providing transferrable skills for life. So why not sign up today and register your child’s place in Sing For Joy! You’ll find more details here: www.fortheloveofgospel.co.uk/sing-for-joy-hull

And finally, a message from Helen Garnett, founder of Sing For Joy children’s choir that we wanted to share with you all:

“ GCSE results are out and I just wanted to share a little something for anyone who might be feeling worried or disappointed.

I really really struggled at school. I found it hard to focus, hard to feel accepted and for most of my school years I felt like a complete square peg in a round hole. I was and am not neurotypical. 

I did not follow the traditional academic route and for a long time I thought that meant I would never make it or find my place. 

But here is what I have learned. GCSE results do not define you as a person. They do not decide your worth and they certainly do not set your future in stone. There are so many different routes to success and so many ways to live a full and meaningful life.

The most important thing is to use the gifts you have been given. Your talents, your passions, your creativity, your ability to care for others, your resilience. Those are the things that will shape your life. You can be a valued and thriving member of society without a string of qualifications to your name.

As a Choir Leader I can tell you no one ever puts that on the career options list at school yet here I am building a life I love. Looking back I am happier in my life now than I ever imagined I could be. None of that came from exam results. It came from finding my own path, embracing who I am and doing what I love.

So for those who achieved what they wanted well done. For those who did not you are loved, you are accepted and you will find your vocation. Please remember this. You are so much more than a grade on a piece of paper. Your story is still unfolding and the best chapters are yet to come.  

Helen Garnett (GCSE in Biology and English because I liked it. Expert in being a choir leader vocalist and choir arranger because that’s my gift and I adore it)”

- Team FTLOG