It’s not uncommon to find somebody singing in the shower on a daily basis; or even singing at a karaoke bar on a Friday night. Singing makes people happy. It’s scientifically proven. Singing releases endorphins, which makes the brain feel “good” and makes one happy. All singing is good for humans, but there is a certain kind of singing that is proven to have a greater impact than the rest.
Choral singing (for those of you who do not know) is getting together with a group of people and all singing different notes and rhythms of the same song. In 2008, Australian study released information that proved choral singers have a higher satisfaction with life than the public, even though the choral singer faced more problematic situations. 98% of choral singers rated their quality of life excellent, and 81% were happy with their health. It makes sense that singers would be satisfied with their health being that some researchers claim that singing strengthens the immune system by increasing the amount of immunoglobin A in the blood. The article that explains this can be found here.
Another study in 1998 showed that senior citizens in a nursing home decreased their anxiety and depression levels after taking part in a singing program for only a month. In Britain, 600 choral singers came to the conclusion that singing plays an extremely important role in their psychological health.
What makes singing in a group, or even by yourself, make people feel so amazing? Is it the proper breathing technique and singing stance that helps? Your shoulders are supposed to be back, feet are shoulder width apart, and the chest is slightly lifted. This stance makes it easier for the diaphragm to expand and let the singer take a deep breath. Deep breathing is a necessity in meditation and other relaxation techniques.
Coming from experience, it’s not just the deep breathing and the endorphins that make choral singers feel good. When singing with a group of people, you are all creating a special bond with each other. Being involved in chorus since second grade has made me realize that we are all singing together for one common goal: to create beautiful music. Once that goal is accomplished, singers are as happy as they possibly can be.
Work Cited
http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/singing-happy1.htm
http://news.smh.com.au/national/choral-singing-makes-you-happy-survey-20080710-3cyg.html
I wonder if it’s not just all the points that you had, but also the songs or type of music the person was involving themselves in. A large amount of music is about being happy or enjoying life, or love, and even songs with a darker undertone usually have an overall message of moving on. But could singing songs with a sadder message decrease the levels of satisfaction, or actually make you feel like someone is empathetic to your situation? There doesn’t seem to be any one answer to these questions, and is simply a personal thing.