Popular music has been called ‘the world's most important art form’, reaching as it does all areas of our child and adult lives and breaking down socioeconomic barriers. In some classrooms, pop songs are regarded as a treat for pupils and teachers: pupils get to sing music that's familiar and ‘cool’, and teachers show an affinity with pupils and with life outside the classroom, gaining cachet. With TV talent shows, rock stars as national figures and wide and easy access to the music, it's no wonder we want to bring its joy and connectivity to the classroom. Interestingly, however, pop music is merely implied in the National Curriculum (although it does feature by name in the Model Music Curriculum).
So what are the important points to consider when rehearsing and performing pop songs for this age group? How do we, as teachers, select the right repertoire and teach this?
Song selection
It's in the nature of pop to go rapidly out of fashion, but there are good reasons why we shouldn't feel the need to keep up or appear to know what's current. First, we don't want children – particularly in KS3 – to feel that we're trying to encroach on their territory. As Martin Ashley has written, ‘It is not the duty of the music teacher to steal from young people their own music and destroy any joy they might have in it by making it the subject of school study’. Music for class and music for home can complement each other. Secondly, it can be easier teaching a song that isn't already well known, starting from a blank canvas, without having to challenge how pupils think the music should go. It's also fairer if everyone starts from the same point so that those less interested in new music don't feel at a disadvantage.
It can be safer, then, working with songs that are a bit older. At the same time, we should resist going too far back purely to reach our comfort zone. While many of us have a really strong attachment to certain songs from our youth, the ‘pop songs we love’ and ‘good pop songs for young voices’ are not necessarily the same thing. You may happen to love Bohemian Rhapsody and know it well enough to teach it, but this doesn't make it a good choice for developing young voices or giving an accomplished performance.
In general, well-known songs can be harder to teach precisely because they're so familiar. Even classics from The Beatles can get mangled rhythmically or melodically because of musical ‘Chinese whispers’ or the countless cover versions that exist.
Keep an eye on the lyrics
Some pop songs are inappropriate for the classroom because of adult themes. I know educators who avoid highly popular songs on these grounds and for good reason. But in instances where teachers are unsure, where do they go for guidance? Canvassing colleagues is always a wise move, as is checking if published arrangements of the song exist and appear on school competition lists, for example. Beth Millett, publishing manager at Sing Up, adds that teachers should ‘trust publishers who have a good reputation with educators. Their material will have been through a series of checks relating to vocal range, level of demand and general suitability for a younger audience.’
Range and register
It's important to note that KS2 children have a wide vocal-range. They usually manage to sing with reasonable control from Bb3 (just below middle-C, ‘C4’) up to D5, without too much effort. According to Jo McNally – educator, conductor and author of Young Voiceworks – we should ‘use the whole range of the voice’ wherever possible, emphasising the importance of developing confidence across the range. ‘It's such a waste otherwise’, she explains. Lucy Hollins and Suzzie Vango, co-authors of How to Make Your Choir Sound Awesome, agree. They add that the best way to help children ‘find’ their full range is to get creative with warm-up exercises, varying these incrementally and singing at different volumes.
Some children often default to using the very bottom of their range, in their speaking or ‘chest voice’ register. Perhaps the song is in the wrong key, or perhaps they lack confidence or experience in using their upper register. Professional pop singers typically push their chest voice quite high – it's important that children don't mimic this, due to the strain it puts on the young developing voice. When this happens, you'll see stretched necks and stiff jaws, and hear out-of-tune singing and croaking voices. To avoid these, when singing music around the middle of the treble staff or higher, encourage the singers to use their ‘head voice’ register, which has a lighter, cleaner quality. Using these terms makes them aware of the physical as well as musical changes that happen. For a fuller understanding of the differences between head voice and chest voice, watch the vocal coach and author Lin Marsh addressing a group of KS2 children in her video created for Sing Up (link below).
I recommend getting the children to explore the whole range of their voices in a fun and imaginative way, whether through songs, warm-ups or other exercises. But avoid letting children use a high chest voice, preferring instead the head voice from around A4 and above. For an example of how this is done effectively, listen to Adele singing the hit Skyfall.
Changing voices
No discussion of KS2 and KS3 ranges and registers is complete without addressing the ‘changing voice’, a natural phenomenon affecting mostly the transition years between these key stages. Among other notable physiological changes linked to puberty, the larynx (voice box) grows, causing a deepening of the voice. From a singing perspective, the vocal range narrows considerably, and the vocal agility is reduced. Controlling the voice, especially in boys, can lead to embarrassment and a reluctance to sing.
Singing in KS3 is a tough gig for boys and their teachers. Some boys will have high voices still, while others sound like men. Most, however, are struggling somewhere in the middle. The important point is to keep boys singing during this period, by adapting to changing circumstances, making the right decisions about repertoire, and collectively enjoying their voices during as well as after change.
I've worked a lot with cambiata (or ‘changing voice’) groups, and it's often the case that pop songs build a rapport with boys: the songs come from familiar territory stylistically, are appreciated by their peers (which builds confidence), and don't demand the treble sound often associated with boys and classical repertoire. It's a relatively safe space.
For changing voices, we must make the singing accessible – pick songs with a smaller range or change the key. And talk to the boys: which lines in a song can they sing comfortably? It also helps to tailor the parts, making sure you give them something they can achieve, such as singing the string bass part of Stand by Me (which has a range of a 5th) to the syllable ‘dmm’, in a key that they can manage.
In terms of things to avoid, spare KS3 boys from singing music that is too high. For a rough measure of what's suitable, try singing up to G4 in Year 7, E4 in Year 8 and C4 in Year 9. Secondly, avoid assuming that the boys won't sing! With the right support and reassurance, boys will and do sing happily. For a fuller discussion of what constitutes best practice with changing voices, read Martin Ashley's Singing in the Lower Secondary School, which describes the exact ranges and stages of development.
Adapting the songs
In other musical genres, songs are often arranged such that different groups sing different material at different times, making for a more musical and interesting performance. Pop music is no different, whether or not we happen to be working from sheet-music. Therefore, rather than follow the unison line of a typical piano/vocals/guitar score, get creative and think about arranging the song for the singers in front of you. Not everyone has to sing together, throughout.
Even in a unison song, there are lots of really simple things we can do to enhance the performance. For example, try giving different lines of the song to different groups, soloists or smaller soli groups. Alternatively, add body percussion; for example, finger-click offbeats in the verse and claps in the chorus. These develop general musicianship skills such as keeping time and performing as part of an ensemble.
How to rehearse
While it might seem natural to launch straight into a song from the top, there are good reasons for not doing so. Consider starting a rehearsal by focussing on tricky corners or unfamiliar elements. ‘I sometimes start by teaching a harmony part rather than the tune’, says Jo McNally; ‘I find this is a whole lot easier than adding it in afterwards’.
I also find teaching the unknown bits both rewarding and efficient. Consider, for example, the harmony or counter-melody such as in the verses of Help! by The Beatles. These are well written and can bear the weight of independent rehearsal. For phrases with tricky rhythms or syncopation (which is common in pop), I have the group chant these together in time. Then, while tapping the beat, we add the melody once the rhythm is secure.
© Michaela Green / Sing Up
Give careful consideration to the song's purpose. Whether it tells a story or expresses an emotion, we should aim to convey this in the performance. ‘Popular music is basically our contemporary folk music’, explains Roger Emerson, probably the most widely performed composer/arranger of pop choral music. ‘It should be sung conversationally’, he says: ‘aim to tell the story not only vocally but with face and eyes.’
To understand a song and achieve this authenticity, try rehearsing in the following way:
- Display the lyrics and ask the children to read them silently
- Discuss briefly the theme and highlight key words
- Read the lyrics together, emphasising these key words
- Now ask them to perform the meaning in this way, as they sing.
Learning versus doing
When rehearsing, consider what are the children learning? In many classrooms you'll find children singing and enjoying Bruno Mars' Count on Me or other hits, swept up by the excitement. This is good for morale, of course, but is this the point? According to HM chief inspector Amanda Spielman, ‘Simply “doing” music is not enough. We need to be ambitious about what we expect for music in the classroom’.
It's easy to get swept along by the genuine enthusiasm children have for singing pop songs, but resorting to ‘a bit of karaoke’ with a rowdy KS3 group or churning out the latest hits with KS2 can cause singing to become devalued; a fun activity with little substance. As in all lessons, teachers should be engaging children in activities that link to the intended learning. My advice, therefore, is to plan for learning and progression to take place, and not use pop songs purely for entertainment value.
Singing style
From a young age, children learn a vast amount by imitation. It can be tempting to teach pop songs from a recording rather than modelling it ourselves. But should children be learning All I Want for Christmas Is You by listening to and attempting to replicate Mariah Carey's performance?
‘The professional pop style can be just inappropriate for kids’, says Sing Up's Beth Millett, with ‘too many ornaments or rapid runs’. Expanding on this, Lin Marsh recommends we ‘encourage them to use their own voice. It's not about cloning a pop sound, but about singing with integrity for the age-group’.
Linked to this is an important message about vocal health. Pop singers sometimes use their voices in a way that is unsafe for young children. This can not only sound unmusical but can cause damage to the voice. John Kay's growly rock vocal in Steppenwolf's Born to Be Wild is a case in point.
For children, singing in a gravelly vocal rasp or pushing the chest voice too high is strongly discouraged. For an example of a more child-friendly way to approach this song, using chest voice for lower phrases and head voice above A4, I recommend watching singer-songwriter Beccy Owen's video for Sing Up. More generally, when considering vocal health and more challenging songs, I would advise building in resting time – young voices and changing voices need frequent breaks!
