Why do we love singing in the shower, at concerts, or during cultural celebrations? Well, there are many reasons –– and researchers around the world are shining a light on some of them. It turns out singing –– and in particular, singing with others –– can do a lot for our health and wellbeing.
The SingWell Project, based at Toronto Metropolitan University, studies how group singing impacts a number of areas involved in our sense of wellbeing. Building on what has grown to be a robust body of research, SingWell researchers are finding that while anyone can reap these benefits, singing with others can be an especially enriching activity when it comes to communication, including for folks who stutter.
What’s more, these benefits arise from participation, not performance. It’s not about how your voice sounds, but the social, emotional, physiological and biological processes at play when we come together to sing. Here are a few examples –– and for those in the Toronto area, one immediate way you can start to tap into them:
1: Social Connection
As a group activity in and of itself, singing with others offers the opportunity to meet people and build ongoing connections. But we all know not every social situation is a comfortable one. Singing together, however, has been shown to have an “ice-breaker” effect: strangers who participate in group singing report stronger feelings of social connectedness than those who participate in other creative group activities. Research has also shown that activities that involve cooperation or synchronization –– like multiple voices and breathing patterns joining together –– can make people feel more socially connected.
2. Mood
From uplifting ballads to break-up songs, music has been a universal tool to help us get in touch with our emotions. When it comes to singing with others, it can also help us turn a bad mood around. For example, one study found that singing in a group led to a greater increase in positive mood and a more significant decrease in negative mood compared to those who merely listened to music. Interestingly, this means that while listening to our favorite songs can make us feel good, the act of singing them in a group gives us an even more powerful mood boost.
3. Stress and Anxiety
Our mood and emotional state can be heavily influenced by the amount of stress or anxiety we are experiencing, and the stress-reducing effects of singing are one of the ways it enhances our wellbeing. Research has shown that people have lower levels of cortisol, the hormone associated with stress, in their saliva after they sing together. This means that singing doesn’t just make us feel good, but our bodies also respond, with ripple effects on other health indicators.
4. Psychological Wellbeing
Singing with others can have a big impact on our outlook, self-image, and overall psychological wellbeing. A fascinating study from 2022 found that individuals who were grieving the loss of a loved one experienced a stabilization in their depression symptoms, improved self-esteem, and had greater confidence in their ability to cope after weekly choir singing. In comparison, individuals not involved in choir at all showed a decline in all three of these areas.
5. Communication
You might think that difficulty communicating would be a barrier to singing with others, but group singing has actually been shown to improve a number of aspects of communication, like vocal strength, fluency, comprehension and more. SingWell specializes in understanding how group singing can enrich communication for people who stutter, as well as people with Parkinson’s disease, aphasia, hearing loss, and lung disease. For all of these reasons and more, SingWell believes that group singing can be an incredibly beneficial and accessible activity for everyone.
If this list of benefits interests you, we invite you to check out The SingWell Project to learn more about their research.
If you are a person who stutters living in the Toronto area and want to give group singing a try, we invite you to take part in our upcoming Toronto Singing Group in partnership with SingWell. This will be a safe, inclusive and judgment-free space for individuals who stutter to explore their voices and have fun.