My Daughter 12 Has a Singing Talent but Is Shying Away About Her Gift

I, too, have a 13 year old granddaughter with an amazing singing talent. She sings and everyone stops to listen, then rant and rave over her. But when asked to sing she shys away and won't because she's simply too shy. She sings for me often so I record her every chance I get. I don't know what it is about not wanting the WORLD to hear her singing but she shys away everytime. My daughter, her mother, doesn't persue it because she is too shy to sing and the results are the same. So perhaps when they are ready, they will sing to the world.. Good Luck to you!

hi, i looked at the youtube video. not only is she a beautiful girl, but she definitely is a gifted singer. i am sad though, as a mom of 6 girls, to hear her singing about a lover. she's only 12. surely you can find other songs to showcase her talent? church youth group? choir?

just my thoughts... god bless

I saw your daughter on Youtube and yes, she very talented, but I have to say that she lacks an outwards self confidence which is completely normal given her age. Don't get me wrong here: I am not say that your daughter lacks self confidence overall because OBVIOUSLY she got an immense amount of self confidence and knows she's good given that she is singing in front of a recording device.

She looks a lot older than 12 and she is very gorgeous. She is probably the prettiest one in her class, and the most talented and everyone knows including her...so...for fear of alienation from her peers, she downplays everything. It's natural.

You really don't need to get her involved with anything until she's about 17 or even 20.

12 is a little young. Stop talking about it altogether and watch...she will be coming to you in a couple of years wanting to be signed!

I agree with Janet - give her a little time. I listened to her Youtube Almost Lover. She does have a BEAUTIFUL voice, an effortless that is truly amazing. These early teen years are hard, and her voice will be there when she is a little older and ready for the attention. Best wishes!

I run kidsActing, a performing arts school for kids in Central Texas. It sounds like she is feeling pressure, whether from outside or internally. My advice is let her sing for fun-- no gigs, no producers, no contests. We do musicals with casts of kids; we've been doing it for nearly 30 years. There have been many children with huge talent, and some with less, but the goal is for them to LOVE what they are doing. Take the pressure off. If she wants to sing, let her do it for fun. With us, with a choir, any place with other kids who love to sing. She has years to develop her gift if that's what she wants to do -- there's no rush. Right now she needs to be a kid, adolescence is tough enough.

Hope that helps,

D. Clark

I was dating a man a couple of years ago who had a daughter (12 when we began dating, 17 now) who is a talented musician. She sings and plays the piano both beautifully. At 12 she was really into it, and when she was 13 and 14, she was gigging and cut an EP at 14 and 15. People started to notice her. She also lost interest in her music several times, and those times coincided with the times when her father got way too interested in her music. I know you say you're not a pusher parent, but I do know what it takes to get a 12 year old gigs and to enter her in contests, etc. It takes a lot of time and effort- time and effort that you thought she wanted from you, sure, but a lot of time and effort and EXCITEMENT nonetheless. My advice (because I've been through it) is to completely back off. completely. I think that she just wants to feel her worth as a person and as your child without the music being a factor at all. If she gets excited about her music again (and she will) let her learn the ropes about how to get herself shows and enter herself in contests. That will give her some intrinsic pride about what she does for herself. Not shame over feeling like a show pony in front of her friends.

You don't mention whether your daughter is involved in her school's theater department or chorus. Those are great ways for her to enjoy her talent, get additional instruction, and fit in with a built-in group of peers all at the same time. Austin has many other opportunities, like the Austin Girls Choir (tryouts required), Conspirare's youth choir, rock and roll schools that put bands together and provide gig opportunities at places like Antone's and the Broken Spoke. See if she's interested in more group activities like these before seeking out competitive programs like contests.

if you want any help just contact ____@____.com,

I have the same kind of daughter. I 'm not sure whats wrong with the picture. She is in youtube because I want the world to see her beautiful gift and talent. She wanted to sing when she was little but when she turned 12, she would always tell me that she don't want to sing anymore. We almost auditioned for America's Got talent and was accepted in Miami but we didn't go because she did not want to go. I try to encourage her and sign her up in anything I see online or anywhere and tell her after the fact! At first she is upset.I entered her video at the David Foster Hitman Talent contest and she was picked. She won the regional and We went to Vancouver last year and she had the Thrill of her life, so everytime she tells me she don't want to join an audition, I make it a point to tell her that It might be just another thrill of her life > she finally says yes and of course a little bribe here and there helps. She also has an agent which makes her sing at her concerts and she can't say no to her. I still make her do things that 14 yr olds do and I am not too strict so she won't feel pressured. Overall she is a great and happy kid. She plays video games and is a striaght A student.

When my girls (4 of them) reached 11 or 12, they all got shy for a couple of years. If she looks uncomfortable when you mention it around her peers, it is probably because it makes her feel different at a time when she wants to be like everyone else. If she has ever gotten teased about it by them in any way, that would explain it all. The closer she gets to 15, the more she'll come out of her shell, and her gift will still be there! If you back off entering her in anything while continuing to praise and encourage her to sing informally, I feel sure she will come around.

hi this is my first ever Blog! However, I checked out Marriah on you tube, i am a full time mum (english which is why i write mum) I am a musician here in austin and we are pretty succesful so my read on her is she needs lessons, with someone she really likes so she has like a mentor she can go to. I was very shy and shyed away from my talent because i was so scarred i wasn't very good or very good, i couldn't stand the attention without some form of support other then my parents.

anyway there are some very good teachers here if she is willing. Just by whatching i think she could do with help with her breathing. Also, does she write her own songs cos that with a caoch would probably give her more confidence also.
that's my 2 cents...this is our my space

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