There is no denying that parents would love to raise a confident child. From teaching children how to embrace failure to celebrating small successes, many things can be done to ensure that they grow to have strong personalities. Of all the things that can be done to facilitate optimal child development and boost confidence, enrolling your little ones in musical theatre classes has the ability to not only sharpen confidence but also present opportunities for learning and nurturing good socio-emotional skills. Combining the power of song and drama, musical theatre can play an integral part in your child’s overall development.
Harnessing the 3 Benefits of Musical Theatre for Child Development
Musical theatre classes guide children through a learning journey that involves acting through song. Be it through solo or group work, children are informed about how music can be utilised together with singing and movement to tell a story. Often accompanied by a holistic curriculum that includes voice production, speech techniques, as well as the thorough analysis of scripts for proper characterisation, children are given a new conduit for creative expression and thinking. Since it has been stated time and time again that drama is essential to a child’s development, the incorporation of music in musical theatre brings a stream of other benefits that are also necessary for overall child development.
Encourage the Art of Storytelling
When children play pretend, they inevitably have to use their imaginations. Likewise, the dramatic aspects of musical theatre provide children with the opportunity to explore and freely use their imagination. When partaking in musical theatre classes, children are encouraged to use various facial expressions, voices, and body movements to bring a story to life. These are all key to making them better communicators. This creative freedom to portray a specific emotion will open up windows of opportunities to come up with innovative solutions as they attempt to play different characters. As they learn to express themselves vocally and through facial expressions, the habit of thinking outside of the box will also be nurtured.
Develop an Understanding of Emotions
There is no doubt that empathy is a crucial skill to have, especially in conflict resolution and understanding others. While most individuals have the innate capacity to be empathetic, cognitive empathy is something that requires effort. This involves putting oneself in the shoes of others to gain more empathic accuracy. As a wide variety of themes and scripts are introduced to children in musical theatre classes, they will constantly be given insight into both real and imaginary situations. And this includes being exposed to the different emotions that may be demonstrated by others. With every session in which they act out a range of emotions, they will be better equipped to understand their own personal feelings and develop empathy for others – a key factor in holistic development.
Boost Self-Esteem and Confidence
Participating in musical theatre will build social, emotional, cognitive, and motor skills over time. Even for the shyest of children, as they slowly take the stage in a safe and guided environment, they will eventually build up their self-esteem and confidence to actively participate in all activities. As their interest in the immediate world around them and beyond is sparked through these plays, they will be further motivated to engage and achieve their full potential. Having goals of their own, be it in relation to acting or singing will also push them to achieve greater success on stage and in life.
Enrol Your Child in a Performing Arts School in Singapore
A performance-based programme like a musical theatre class can play a part in the holistic development of your child. When practiced in a safe environment with trained experts, they will be able to gain new and valuable skills while overcoming obstacles of their own. MindChamps Académie of Stars is the leading music theatre school for children above the age of four. With various class types such as ALL-STAR Theatre Company and Private Coaching, parents will be able to find the best-suited class for their child to nurture their lifelong interest in performing and the arts. Get in touch to find out more about musical theatre classes in Singapore for kids and other arts programmes today.