Singing in a choir brings joy not only to the audience that is listening but also to the choir members themselves.
The power that this (relatively) small time commitment offers is profound. According to numerous scientific reports, singing alters molecules inside our brains. And different changes occur whether listening to music, singing, or singing with others.
Quite simply, music empowers and uplifts people. Singing changes the brain by moving musical vibrations through you, thereby altering both your physical and emotional landscape. Researchers have studied group singing and determined that the singers have lower levels of cortisol which lowers stress.
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Choirs are known for singing about somber topics, including death. Requiem masses by Berlioz, Haydn, Verdi, and Mozart are extremely popular choices for choirs worldwide. Yet, even though the content isn’t necessarily joyous or comforting, it produces endorphins (hormones produced by the central nervous system) which interact with opiate receptors in the brain, diminishing pain and triggering an almost analgesic feeling in the body. According to research:
Our brains get an endorphin “rush”, which apparently feels a lot like taking morphine. Singing (both listening to it and doing it) can also release dopamine, a chemical that works to help regulate the brain’s pleasure and reward centers.
Music has also been found to release serotonin, a neurotransmitter found mostly in the digestive tract that helps regulate our moods, social behaviors and appetite; other studies have shown that cortisol levels can be lower when listening to music and singing.1
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Interestingly, Dr. David Huron, a music professor at OSU, proposes that singing may increase prolactin production. Prolactin helps regulate the immune system, and is found both in tears and in nursing mammals.
As we age, singing brings us other forms of happiness as well. According to neuroscientists, musical memories utilize broader neural pathways than other types of memories – think of hearing an old song, and the specific emotions and visual cues that come to the surface. According to scientists:
When dementia and Alzheimer’s patients are encouraged to sing along songs from their youth, they sometimes respond with wide-eyed wonder and exhilaration, and sing out in a way that surprises not only those around them, but themselves as well; it’s a beautiful phenomenon to witness.1
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Additionally, doctors are now finding that singers have more circuit connections between the right and left sides of their brains than non-singers. Memorizing words, which is a left-brain function, and music, which is a right-brain function, could help keep those nerve cells and synapses in excellent working order.
Dr. Gene D. Cohen of George Washington University kept a record of a senior singers’ chorale in Arlington, Virginia. The singers’ average age was 80 (65 the youngest, 96 the eldest). He discovered that the singers experienced less depression, made fewer doctor’s visits each year, needed less medication, and were involved in more activities.
Jaime Babbitt of Choir Director Magazine describes what singing in a choir means to her:
..the most remarkable phenomenon that a choir vocalist experiences are the many “take your breath away” moments that come as a result of being one of many voices coming together in harmony.
I’m sure many of you reading this have had your own version of these types of experiences: goosebumps on your arms, hair standing up on the back of your neck, bursting into tears (that would be me), and more.1
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Dr. Gunter Kreutz, in a 2004 study, showed that singing in a choir (as opposed to simply listening to choral music) increases SIgA production (antibodies in saliva that help immune function) and other positive physical responses.
And guess what? Amateur level singing counts too. Stacy Horn, who has been singing with The Choral Society of Grace Church (in New York City’s Greenwich Village) since 1982, cites a 2005 study that showed that says:
Singing even at an amateur level is beneficial to people’s emotional, physical, and cognitive well-being.1
Horn describes how science is finally catching up to what vocalists have known since the dawn of time – singing HEALS.
One final thought – the importance of having the healing power of music available in our schools can not be overstated – not only for brain health, but also to bring peace, harmony, and togetherness, which is much needed, especially in today’s world.
