Is it that remarkable that a 5 year old girl can sing high b flat?

Question

My 5 year old had a couple of one on one singing lessons booked in anticipation of upcoming choir auditions.

I knew that sometimes she sounded great, but just as often she sounded awful so I was trying to improve consistency because she does love to sing.

The tutor has decades of experience with children and adults and became excited by my daughter effortlessly singing in “high b flat”.

It meant absolutely nothing to me but the tutor described her as one of if not the most able young singers she’s ever taught. She was also good at other aspects of the lesson, following music and singing with the piano etc

Now we’re booked in for weekly singing lessons and, although I don’t doubt the sincerity of the tutor, I’m wondering if in the grand scheme of things if it’s really that remarkable?

Is this a rare talent that justifies the £15 per week nurturing?

Could it lead to a prominent professional career?

I’m not interested in fame and fortune for her, but a happy balance of financial security and joy. Thanks.

Answer 1

Pitch is not singing talent and girls have a voice change coming up in puberty just like boys (only less drastic) so it's nothing guaranteed to stay extraordinary anyway. Effortless high pitch is a result from good vocal closure which is basically anatomic and may or may not make it through the voice change.

So this is nothing to get excited about. However:

I knew that sometimes she sounded great, but just as often she sounded awful so I was trying to improve consistency because she does love to sing.

There is nothing as relevant for getting far in music (as in many other endeavors) as just loving it. And starting early is also something that cannot easily be replaced by anything else.

It meant absolutely nothing to me but the tutor described her as one of if not the most able young singers she’s ever taught. She was also good at other aspects of the lesson, following music and singing with the piano etc

She's five. Forget about the jubilation of the tutor about her pitch and talent or whatever: it's just too early to figure out how much potential it will have in the long run. But wanting to work in this and having the requisite attention for it at this age is not to be sneezed at. Whether or not she ends up as more than a choir singer is one question, but that kind of preparation is certainly useful also for working with musical instruments.

If you find this kind of tutoring expensive, take a look at what other offerings may be in your area. For musical education, there are often a lot of programs, also community programs, that allow young ones to progress reasonably.

Answer 2

The ability of kids to mimic all kinds of singing is so constantly amazing that it hardly surprises us any more :-)

Being able to hit a high note is good, but not of earth-shattering import. Being able to pick up new material readily is more interesting.

Sounds like she'll swan through the choir auditions. Why not just take it from there for the time being? Give her lots of praise and encouragement. Lots of time before you have to consider a career.