Infinity Voices -- 10/04/2025 Singing Lessons at Library

Authored by Cielle Chan

Today marked the official start of our singing lessons since the last session was mainly focused on promoting. We arrived around 12:50 to set up my keyboard and get ready for class. I was really grateful that Rien, Shiang were there to support me.

For the first few minutes, we only had one student, so Shiang and Rien joined in to help. We started by introducing our names, grades, and favorite foods. To help everyone get familiar, everytime somebody said my name is… we would say Hi [Name]! After that, we did some warm-ups and tongue twisters like “Black bug’s blood” and “Great Green Greek grapes.”

Soon, three more students trickled in, so we took a moment to reintroduce ourselves before continuing. Once everyone was settled, we played a game called Telephone Music. I started with one note and had everyone pass it around the circle by singing it. The first time didn’t go very well since it was easy to hear what note was being sung. For the second round, everyone covered their ears until it was their turn, which made it harder but more fun. By the end, the final note was much different from the first and had everybody in giggles. 

After the game, I brought out the music sheet I had prepared. I didn’t tell them what song it was because I wanted them to focus on learning the rhythm first. I explained the basic music terms on the sheet and reassured them that they didn’t need to memorize this immediately, as I’d review them again next time so they’d remember through repetition. Then, I taught them the note values for each beat and had everyone clap along. I also explained how notes placed higher on the staff sound higher, and notes placed lower sound lower. Then, we went through the piece measure by measure, clapping each rhythm together. 

Once we finished clapping through it twice, I asked if anyone could guess what song it was. They tried a few times but couldn’t figure it out. When I clapped while playing the piano, they started to get closer. Finally, one of the students guessed it; it was Row, Row, Row Your Boat.

We sang the song a few times, and then I introduced myself by singing it in a round, where one group starts and another joins in later. The first attempt was a little messy since no one was used to it yet, but after a few tries, it started to come together. It actually sounded really nice, and I was so happy to hear how much progress they made in just one session. The parents even applauded at the end, which made me really happy.

Before we finished, I asked the students what songs they would like to do next time. A few gave some fun suggestions, and everyone seemed excited to come back. It was a great start to our singing lessons, and I can’t wait to see them again in two weeks.

Vocal Tutor: Cielle Chan

Assistants: Rien Chen, Shiang Hwu