4. Building the Right Structures
Adults, children and young people are all different. They learn in different ways, at different speeds. Their attention spans and what it takes to motivate them are different. So are the patterns of their other activities…and their bedtimes!
So don’t think you can simply invite them to participate alongside adults in your current structure of rehearsals and services. You will need to be prepared to build some new structures, just for them, to keep them happy, involved and developing. Here are some tips for how to do that.
Work with children at the right times of day
The involvement of younger children in particular will need to be at times of day which are practical for them and their families. Immediately after the end of the school day might be the ideal time to try to get together a group of younger children. If later in the afternoon or early evening, bear in mind likely bedtimes at different age points. Don’t try to work with children at the very end of their day, when their attention span might be at its shortest.
Carve out separate rehearsal time
Don’t try to rehearse children and adults together right from the start. Children, particularly those who are beginning their journey of discovery of church music, need constant attention, focus and engagement, and will quickly become bored if you are spending much of your time sorting out the basses or an instrumental part. Find some new time for the children alone (maybe with one or two adults musicians along simply to help the learning process and provide context) where they can have your full attention and you can adapt your style to suit their learning needs.
Take the long view, and build over time
Be prepared for a slow-burn approach. Start with modest expectations: don’t expect children and families without existing church connections to start showing up every Sunday. It’s enough at first to have a few kids exploring their voices for half an hour in an after-school slot. Get them and their parents engaged before you start talking about leading music in services. Keep that manageable too: one service a month – one in which they are centre-stage and fully engaged – is enough to begin with. Increase the opportunities, and the obligations, incrementally over a substantial period of time. Be patient – the work you are undertaking is for the long term, so take the long view.
Evolve your structures as your group develops
As your group grows, you will need to consider how to manage the age range and differing levels of experience that might emerge. The youngest may not yet be able to cope with a relatively long rehearsal, and may at the outset prefer an informal morning service to a formal Evensong or meditative prayer service, for example. Be prepared to have different patterns of involvement for different groups of children and young people, according to their age and experience. If you are fortunate enough to have both boys and girls involved in sufficient numbers, think about how you can use them separately as well as together. Some boys can feel uncomfortable in singing groups, which nowadays are commonly associated with and dominated by girls, so finding opportunities for them to do some singing on their own can be affirming. You will also need to have a plan for how to handle transitions as your older members’ voices start to change, and you prepare to move them towards your adult choir.
Help your young people grow in faith
Working with others in your church, ensure that your work is rooted in mission and ministry, and is not ‘just about the music’. Provide context for the music you are teaching them – make sure they understand what it’s about. Begin or end with prayer. Teach young singers The Choristers’ Prayer, to underline from the start that being in a church choir is about active faith, not just music. Make time for non-music activity, to increase variety and ensure that your children and young people can have fun, build a sense of belonging and grow in faith – for example, a club following on from rehearsal, where faith-based discussions can be continued alongside games and refreshment in a less formal environment.
By providing time to focus on the particular needs and development stages of children and young people – carving out space for them, rather than ‘bolting them on’ to existing structures – you can ensure that your work with them is engaging and motivating, so that you can keep them involved over the longer term, and see your group grow and thrive.
More information and resources
Church of England Church Support Hub: Children and Young People