Why Choir

The science behind why choir-singing is good for you

Daniel Levitin, psychology professor at McGill University and author of This is Your Brain on Music, says group singing isn't just good for the soul — it's good for the body.  

By analyzing the changes in people's brain activity when they sing together, he's come to the conclusion that feelings of belonging and mood elevation are biologically ingrained to surface with communal singing.

"All those moments of singing together with other people created in me a feeling of peace, a feeling of unity, a feeling of belonging, and connection that otherwise in the world is challenging," Hussein Janmohamed, a PhD in choral music, told the CBC's Kathryn Marlow of his choir experiences. 

Evolutionary history

Levitin says group singing has been an essential human trait for tens of thousands of years. 
It was traditionally a community building exercise that everyone participated in.

That communal approach changed in most of Western society, however.  Singing was now something that specialists did, while others watched. It became an exclusionary act, rather than a communal one.
It effectively silenced those who didn't think they had a special talent.

"You hear people say all the time, 'Oh, I can't sing' or 'I'm not good enough to sing,' and I really think that's a shame. It goes against our evolutionary history." 

 

Group singing makes you feel closer to others

Levitin points to a wealth of neurological research that suggests our brains release oxytocin when we sing with others.

"That's a chemical that's involved in social bonding and it's believed to give rise to the feelings of togetherness and friendship that comes from singing together," he said.

Group singing, in other words, scientifically strengthens a community.

Levitin also says the act of listening when singing in groups causes participants' brain responses to synchronize with one another.

 

Choir-singing as an anti-depressant ?

Singing in choirs doesn't just connect us with others, it also has the powerful capacity to elevate our mood.  

"I can go into a rehearsal feeling gross, or having like a really bad mental health day, and I will leave there feeling uplifted, and elated, and grounded, and comforted," singer Alexis Hillyard of Kokopelli Choir Association told Marlow.

As Levitin explains, the healing potential of singing is due in part to deep breathing.
As an aerobic activity, singing increases the amount of oxygenated blood rushing to the brain.

"We feel good after breathing, and breathing deeply, and controlling our breaths in the way that we do when we're singing," he said.

Research suggests choir singing changes our neuro-chemistry as well. When singing to music you enjoy with other people, the brain sees an uptick in two powerful neurotransmitters called serotonin and dopamine.

Dopamine activates the brain's pleasure center, while serotonin is commonly deployed to ward off depression.

 

'Don't be judgy'

But how do us normal folks suspend our fear of singing beyond the shower and welcome the potential of group singing in our lives?  In his clinical opinion, Levitin argues we shouldn't be "so judgy" about whether or not we're pleasant to listen to.

"Who cares if you're Ella Fitzgerald, or not? Leonard Cohen certainly didn't care. And you know thankfully he didn't. He gave his songs to us in spite of having a rather unusual voice," he said. "To not [feel] judged about it is important. It can free us up to participate."

Singing in a choir is an excellent way to develop your voice to its fullest potential and studies continue to show how singing in a choir helps relieve stress and anxiety!