It seems to me that there are four main areas of benefit to singing in a group:
1. social — singing is a community activity
2. personal — singing creates a sense of achievement
3. musical — singing together makes for a great sound
4. well-being — singing is good for your health
1. Singing is a community activity
* you will make friends who have a shared interest
* working as a team — every contribution counts, but the team must pull together as one
* creating a community of like-minded people with a shared goal
* you will meet people from a range of different backgrounds
* and for you men out there: there are always far more women than men in mixed choirs!
2. Singing creates a sense of achievement
* when you finally nail a difficult song
* constantly improving your singing technique
* regularly developing your vocal skills
* learning new skills and languages
* remembering words and melodies
* being challenged by more difficult material
* performing in a concert in front of an audience
3. Singing together makes for a great sound
* being part of a big musical sound
* the pleasures of harmonising with others
* creating beautiful music together
* rehearsing to make a song sound really good
* getting positive feedback from audiences after working hard on a song
4. Singing is good for your health
* warm-ups improve the body’s flexibility, sense of rhythm, balance, self-awareness, etc.
* breathing techniques help to reduce stress and relax the body
* expressing yourself through sound helps to release emotional blockages
* being part of a group working together creates a sense of belonging, community and shared endeavour
* singing is an aerobic activity that increases oxygenation in the blood stream and exercises major muscle groups in the upper body
* singing has a positive effect in reducing stress levels through the action of the endocrine system which is linked to our sense of emotional well-being
* singing can increase lung capacity, improve posture, clear respiratory tubes and sinuses, and can increase mental alertness through greater oxygenation
* singing promotes both a healthy heart and an enhanced mental state as well as improving your immune system — so you will live longer!
* recent Swedish research has shown that choral singing has strong effects on-being, in that positive emotions increase significantly, and, in turn, negative emotions radically subside. Choral singers, particularly women, are happier, more alert and relaxed after a rehearsal.
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