Singing neuroscience shows that when we sing our neurotransmitters come together in a new way.
It triggers the right temporal lobe in the brain, releasing endorphins that make us smarter, healthier, happier and more creative. When we sing with other people this effect is amplified.
The good feelings we get from singing in a group are kind of a reward for teamwork.
Research shows that making music in a group has been used as an instrument of social life. Groups and tribes sang and danced together to build loyalty, convey important information, and drive away enemies.
Science supports singing
What has not been clear until recently is that singing in groups causes the release of serotonin and oxytocin – a hormone, and even synchronizes our heart rhythm.
Group singing literally stimulated the community to “unite every cave dweller.” Those who sang together were strongly connected and survived.
In her book “Imperfect Harmony: Finding Happiness Singing With Others”, Stacy Horn says that singing is: “The infusion of the ideal tranquilizer that soothes your nerves and boosts your spirit.”
Singing makes you happy
Singing helps people with depression and reduces feelings of loneliness, makes people calmer, happier and more connected.
British singer and choir director Sofia Eftimiu describes singing as a process of consciously controlling our breathing and throat when we combine that with rhythm and lyrics to create songs.
In a group setting, each member of the group feels the musical vibrations that flow through their body at the same time. Our heart rhythms become synchronized. Sofia explains:
“We are literally forming a united heart rhythm.”
Anyone can sing
One of the great things about singing is that you can get good even if you are not good at it. One study found that: “Group singing can bring a satisfying and therapeutic sensation, even when the sound generated by the vocals has a mediocre quality.”
Tania de Jong, the singer-songwriter and founder of Creative Australia, effectively uses the ability of group singing to reach every member of the group, regardless of their ability to sing.
The One Voice project brings together many different people to sing. Tania says:
“One of the great things about singing is that it connects you to the right side of the brain. It’s the side responsible for intuition, imagination and all our creative functions. It connects us to the world of possibilities. In modern life, we are constantly bombarded with so much information that we process. and analyze. We’re mostly stuck in the left side of our brain. That’s why it’s essential to form attributes that differentiate us from machines. The best way to do that is to sing. “
Sing anywhere, anytime
These benefits are free and available to everyone. We all have a voice. We can all sing, even if we don’t think we can.
There was a time when we were all singing. We sang in church, around the campfire, at school. Many of us have not been singing since group singing created a rebirth. At some point, someone told us to be calm or to think about our imperfect singing voice.
Raise your voice
American opera singer Cathy Cat wants to encourage us all to sing more often, regardless of our skills.
“Singing increases self-awareness, confidence and the ability to communicate with others. It reduces stress, calms us down and helps us strengthen our identity and affects our world.
When you sing, the musical vibration moves through you, changing your physical and emotional state. The singing is as old as the hills. This is really one of the most active things we can do. “
“However, society has distorted views on the value of singing. Singing has become something reserved for elite talents, or high-performance stars, management, concert dates, leaving us all with a destructive critique of our own voices.”
She argues that singing is instinctive and necessary for our existence. You do not have to be an exceptional singer to benefit from the basic biological benefits of singing.
Source: www.brainum.ru