Choirs and choral singing are being recognized as potent medicine for anxiety, depression, and loneliness, as research is beginning to show that group singing creates bonds between and among participants more quickly and dependably than other methods of community building.
Writing in the Guardian, Kate Corbett-Winder describes her struggle with anxiety and panic attacks that seemed to have no cause in her life. Using “traditional tools” such as therapy and medication, she got them under control, only to have them re-emerge about a year later. This time, through therapy, she began to explore “what have I stopped doing that once made me me?”
Remembering that in childhood and youth, creativity, art and music were a constant and important part of her life, she wondered if in her adult life she had been suppressing something important. She joined a choir and started taking dance classes and making her own Christmas cards to send to friends. Coming out of the weekly choir practice, she feels “great, having loved every second of it. More importantly, I will have exercised my creativity and kept my anxiety at bay.”
Other studies have shown similar results. People who are more engaged in singing have lower rates of depression and greater life satisfaction. Singing has also been found to reduce blood pressure and stress hormones, and choral singing is also being used with great results for dementia patients and their carers. Music, they find, is stored in the “implicit memory”, like riding a bicycle, and patients can pick up songs they used to know even when other verbal abilities are deteriorating.
MoodSurfing has long recommended doing “fun things” and music, arts and crafts are a big part of that. Corbett-Winder says she often comes out of work tired and out of sorts, not wanting to attend choir practice, but once she gets there, she has a great time and leaves feeling energized and happy. What more can you ask of a fun activity?