Emma is going to take a break from voice lessons for a little while.

When she first started going to the Utah Music Conservatory, I signed her up for a group class. She loved singing and she loved the class. This fall I signed her up for another group class, but they didn’t end up getting enough kids and they canceled the class.

She enjoyed singing so much, that she didn’t want to quit. I decided to sign her up for private lessons with her teacher, Janet White, from the summer. She started out strong and really enjoyed it. She constantly asked me to put on her music CD in the car so she could practice. But gradually it has gotten to be more and more of a chore to get her to practice.

She is supposed to practice for 30 minutes a day. At age 6 1/2 I think that is a bit too much, but I would like her to practice a few times a week. I have been feeling like she isn’t getting anything out of the class. She goes to her lesson, and then doesn’t open the books or sing again until lesson time next week.

I talked to her about it and asked her if she would like to take a break. She answered with an emphatic “Yes!” Last week I talked to Mrs. Janet about it, and signed the resignation form. She keep going until the end of this semester, which means she has just 2 more classes.

I think Emma has singing talent and I just don’t want to ruin it for her. She loves to sing and I don’t want it to become a chore for her. I think part of what she loved about the first class was the social aspect. Hopefully they will have enough kids over the summer to run the group class again. By then, Emma will hopefully be ready to sing some more.