SINGING IS GOOD FOR MORE THAN THE SOUL, IT’S HEALTHY FOR THE BODY TOO!

I think most of us sang spontaneously as kids, but as we grew and became more self-conscious, for whatever reason, we dropped the habit little by little. I loved singing so much and so wanted to develop my voice that I took singing lessons for awhile, then speech and vocal lessons. My singing coach told me I had an extraordinary amount of vibrato, which I interpreted as not a good thing, so I quit. My voice coach moved away and I didn’t find a new one. I was busy working and raising a young family, so developing my voice moved to a far back burner. I have always been aware that I have a very soft voice; in a noisy group setting I often have difficulty making myself heard. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons I became a writer. Nowadays people often comment on my beautiful, melodic voice, which I find very complimentary … if ironic.

Even today, choral music provides one of my favorite forms of listening music. I find the human voice the most extraordinary musical instrument of all. Now studies are showing that singing is one of those eon-old human endeavors that exhibit a lot of benefits other than simple pleasure. Following are some of the interesting results of recent investigation:

*Human intelligence: Walter Freeman, a neurobiologist at UC Berkeley, believes singing and dancing are genetic in origin and that they helped human brains evolve. These activities also served as a means of transmitting knowledge from one generation to another. Think about learning ABCs as a toddler, it was much easier when it was sung. Right?
*Social confidence: An organization of singing groups called Chorus America conducted a survey a few years ago, and found that more people in the US and Canada participate in choral singing than in any other performing art. Most singers say that singing in a chorus builds their social confidence.
*Breathing health: Studies show that singing helps people with asthma and bronchitis because of deep and controlled breathing, which also gives a variety of muscles, such as the diaphragm, a workout. Some evidence shows that even snoring can be suppressed through singing.
*Immune system health: German researchers found that members of an amateur choir had their antibody levels rise when they sang. Temporary changes in immunity mean very little because many activities produce ups and downs in antibodies and stress hormones, but I think the key here is to view the cumulative factor.
*Healthy aging: Investigators at George Washington University devised a survey called “Creativity and Aging,” which revealed that members of senior chorales in the District of Columbia, San Francisco and Brooklyn reported better health and fewer falls than nonsingers.
*Alzheimer’s: A British branch of the Alzheimer’s Society reports that singing is helpful for patients with dementia. Singing familiar songs and learning new ones can help build self-esteem and alleviate loneliness. And while there is no proof that such activities prevent Alzheimer’s, many experts think that they may help delay the onset.

So find a singing group. Churches and other organizations have choirs and sponsor singing-related activities. Dr. William Pereira, a musician and a member of the editorial board of UC Berkeley’s Wellness Letter says, “Singing energizes your whole body and soul.” Play a CD at home and vocalize while you do housework. Invite others over to have a singalong.

Karaoke here I come!
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