What Can Kids Learn In Edmonton Group Music Classes?
Your child has learned a new song at school, and now they’re teaching it to you. The words, the actions, the part you keep getting wrong.
They’re a very enthusiastic teacher, and you’d love to give that enthusiasm somewhere to grow.
So you start looking for the best music lessons in Edmonton.
Then come the choices: private singing lessons, group music classes, children’s choirs. The descriptions mention musical foundations, games, and performances. They all sound promising, but you’d like to know what your kid might actually learn.
What will they learn? How much individual attention will they get? Will they actually have fun?
At Edmonton Youth & Children’s Choirs, we’ve spent more than 30 years teaching kids to sing while learning how to keep them just as interested in the lessons as they are in the songs.
Choosing Between Group Music Lessons and Private Singing Lessons
At first glance, private singing lessons might seem like the best choice for any child who loves to sing. In that one-on-one scenario, a teacher can focus on their voice, work through particular challenges, and help them learn songs they’re excited about.
But your kid’s voice is a kid’s voice. Not an adult’s. It’s still developing, so the songs and teaching need to match that stage.
Many pop songs are written for adult voices, so their range and singing style may not suit your kid’s voice yet…even if they know every word to their favourite Olivia Rodrigo song.
Helping a child sing comfortably means knowing what their developing voice is ready for and how to choose or adapt songs to suit it. That’s why private lessons need a teacher with specific training and experience in young voices. Someone who knows how to build healthy singing habits and keep the learning engaging for a child whose attention span is developing too.
That’s the approach we take in EYCC’s children’s choirs.
Our conductors have degrees in education and plenty of experience leading choirs, so they know how to teach children and support their developing voices. Sarah Schaub, who leads Angeli, and Amy Voyer, who leads Luminaria and Harmonia, are also trained in Kodály, a way of teaching music literacy and skills through singing, movement, and games.
And in choir, your child doesn’t learn music all on their own.
They’re learning songs, playing the games, and getting to know other children. As those friendships grow, they have another reason to look forward to rehearsal: they get to sing with their friends.
What Kids Practice in Group Music Lessons
What your child learns during group music lessons depends on their age and the choir they’re in. Younger singers begin with songs, movement, and games, then build on those foundations as they’re ready for more.
Here’s what that can look like for our youngest singers in Angeli, Luminaria, and Spiritus rehearsals:
Keeping a steady beat and following a rhythm. Stepping to the beat and clapping patterns help kids get a feel for musical timing, so they can follow a song’s rhythm.
Hearing a melody and singing it back. Singing in tune takes practice! Short melodies let kids work on matching the notes they hear with their own voices.
Getting comfortable using their voice. Songs that suit growing voices help build healthy singing habits. Taking turns singing in front of friends builds confidence, too.
Making sense of written music. Once familiar sounds connect with notes on the page, kids can begin reading music and using it to learn songs.
Listening to the whole choir. Singing together means learning when to come in, when to stop, and how to adjust so everyone’s voices work together.
How Children Get Individual Attention in Group Music Lessons
It’s easy to assume a quieter kid would prefer private lessons and an outgoing one would enjoy a group. But kids can surprise you. A child who’s hesitant to sing on their own may feel quite comfortable singing with friends, getting a little help from their conductor as they go.
At EYCC, your child’s conductor gets to know how they learn. They hear how your child’s voice is developing, notice when something is proving tricky, and offer feedback while the choir works through a song.
The conductors get to know you, too. If your kid needs extra help, you have someone to talk with about what’s happening. Together, you can work out what would help them enjoy rehearsals and keep learning.
Those relationships help our choirs feel like one big family, with kids growing up singing together, season after season. In our Youth Choir (Grades 8–12), more than 95% of singers have returned each year for the past three years!
Group Music Lessons in Edmonton: Learning Through Choir
So, where would your child start? At EYCC, we match the learning to their age, with each choir giving singers skills to work on together.
Angeli is for children in Kindergarten and Grade 1. They get to explore musical sounds through songs, movement, and games.
Spiritus welcomes boys and gender-diverse singers in Grades 2–4, while Luminaria welcomes girls and gender-diverse singers in the same grades. They begin reading music and singing in harmony, learning how to hold their own notes while listening to someone singing something different beside them.
Your child doesn’t need previous choir experience, and there’s no audition for any of these choirs. All three meet on Tuesdays at Southminster-Steinhauer United Church in south Edmonton.
And when your child comes home with a new song to teach you, this time they might be able to tell you exactly which notes to sing, when to come in, and why you’re clapping in the wrong place.
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Edmonton Youth & Children’s Choirs offers group music lessons for children in Kindergarten through Grade 4 with the Angeli, Spiritus, and Luminaria choirs. Tuesday rehearsals are held at Southminster-Steinhauer United Church in south Edmonton.
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No, children don’t need singing experience to join EYCC’s group music lessons, and there’s no audition for our children’s choirs.
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Yes, EYCC’s children’s choirs help kids learn to read music in age-appropriate and engaging ways.
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Absolutely! At Edmonton Youth & Children’s Choirs, Harmonia welcomes singers in Grades 5–7, and the Edmonton Youth Choir welcomes Grades 8–12. Previous choir experience isn’t required for either, so your child doesn’t have to start in one of our younger choirs to join.
