Elinor Harrison, who worked fifteen years as a professional dancer and singer, is a dance choreographer and a movement scientist at Washington University in St. Louis plus a lecturer in the Performing Arts Department. For the past decade, she has been developing therapeutic techniques involving singing and dancing to help people with neurological disorders.
She recommends that everybody sing. Not only is singing a deeply ingrained human cultural activity, research increasingly shows how good it is for us. Before people played music, they likely sang. Singing and chanting can have profound benefits to physical, mental and social health, with both immediate and long term effects.
Physically, the act of producing sound can strengthen the lungs and diaphragm plus increase the amount of oxygen in the blood. Singing can also lower heart rate and blood pressure, reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. It also improves mood and reduces stress.
Vocalizing can even improve you immune system, as active music participation can increase levels of immunoglobin A, one of the key antibodies to stave off illness.
We teach children nursery rhymes with gestures; we spontaneously nod our heads to a favorite song; we sway to the beat while singing at a baseball game.
Recently, I was watching TV showing excerpts from Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. Many of the young women in the audiences were singing along with her.
Group singing provides a mood boost, improves overall well-being and may promote feeling of social connection and bonding. When I was in high school, I was a part of the Mixed Chorus, the Girls Chorus and a small ensemble. One of the advantages of attending a small high school is a person doesn’t have to be good to participate in extra-curricular activities.
Humans are, in effect hardwired to sing and dance, and we likely evolved to do so. Matching footfalls to one’s own singing is an effective tool for improving walking. Seemingly, active vocalization requires a level of engagement, attention and effort that can translate into improved motor patterns. It works even when you sing in your head.
Do you sing in the shower or while doing household chores?