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Asked by anon-216550 to Robert, Olly, Nicola, Jasmin, Dennis, Caroline on 15 Jun 2019.
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Robert Dempsey answered on 15 Jun 2019:
Me personally – no, I’m an awful singer and wouldn’t even attempt to sing… For some people, singing may be a way of managing their emotions (there’s a lot of research into the benefits of engaging in creative activities for mental health) or I think it could be as simple as meeting up with other people to share an activity like singing could help – may be a way of getting social support from others or simply a distraction from your current experiences (or a way of relieving your frustrations!)
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Caroline Brett answered on 15 Jun 2019:
Yes, definitely! I’m a big advocate of singing, particularly in a group. There are so many benefits – singing itself is great because it helps people to focus on something else (other than their worries), and physically the act of singing is good for our physical health as it can help our lung capacity, help us feel calm, and we tend to sit or stand upright while singing which is good for our posture. The added bonus of singing in a group is the chance to meet new people, to work towards a common goal, and to build a sense of belonging.
In case I’ve not convinced you, here’s a link to a recent review of the evidence: https://whatworkswellbeing.org/blog/music-singing-and-wellbeing-what-works-new-review-of-evidence/
Oh and unlike Rob I believe everyone can sing (some people may be tone deaf, I admit, but that doesn’t mean they can’t contribute). I’ve helped lead singing workshops with all sorts of groups of people and they’ve all come away with a smile on their faces 🙂 -
Dennis Relojo-Howell answered on 15 Jun 2019:
I work for a radio station in London. On one of our shows, we had Dave Dawson. He’s a busker who also sings at care home for older people with dementia. According to him, these people enjoy listening to music. And when he sings for them the tunes seem to tap them on the shoulder like old familiar friends that hadn’t visited for a while, and their reactions were joyous. They roused.
If you are interested, you can read an article that he wrote for my blog: https://www.psychreg.org/singing-care-home-dementia/
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Jasmin Moon answered on 17 Jun 2019:
As far as I know the evidence suggests singing in a group such as a choir can be helpful, probably due to feeling part of something bigger and learning new things.
I have been part of a choir in the past and I did notice my mood lifting when I was singing with others.
However, it’s certainly not the only hobby or activity that can help your mental health so it’s good to try out a few different things to find out what works best for you 🙂 -
Oliver Clabburn answered on 17 Jun 2019:
Weirdly, I was chatting to a friend about this very thing over the weekend! I certainly know if i’m happy in myself and have ‘good’ mental health when I catch myself singing! I think that singing is therefore an expression of good mental health, and also a way to maintain it too! Lots of research about how choirs and group singing is beneficial!
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