What Does Singing Bring to Our Daily Lives?

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Who has never sung alone in their bathroom, in the shower or in front of the mirror while getting ready? Who has never sung in public, in front of their parents, in their town’s community hall? To impress their loved ones? In a choir or to calm the youngest in the family? Every occasion is good to hum a melody, a tune that makes us feel good. Why does singing have such an important place in our daily lives? You’ll find your answers through this article!

What are the benefits of singing?

Singing Stimulates Learning and Memory

benefits of singing that helps train, maintain, stimulate memory

From our youngest age we were lulled by our parents’ voices. We loved hearing songs, nursery rhymes and lullabies. They amused us while promoting our development. Everyone knows by heart the chorus of “A Green Mouse” (Une souris verte), “A Sweet Song” (Une chanson douce) or “Brother John” (Frère Jacques). These little songs are good exercises for memory and language learning. More recent songs have marked all generations combined like “Let It Go” (Libéré, délivré) in Frozen or “Baby Shark.” We find rhymes, intonations stimulating the child’s curiosity as well as attention and concentration. For example, let’s take learning a foreign language: it’s difficult to assimilate and get accustomed to a different culture. Songs in foreign languages therefore have an alternative and playful role allowing to refine, educate the ear and memorize the vocabulary and phonology of the language. On the same principle, our favorite songs and music remain imprinted in our memory. And as soon as we hear them much later, we find ourselves immersed in the memories associated with them. In extreme situations like Alzheimer’s disease, music is used to “improve” the memory of people suffering from this disease - there would exist two distinct memories:

There would be a pure musical memory foreign to discourse whose anatomical substrate is different from cognitive memory

according to Michel Larroque, researcher in philosophy and psychology.

This musical memory would be intact and would allow patients to dive back into their memories.

Singing Soothes Our Ills and Reduces Our Stress

benefits of singing that soothes us thanks to endorphins hormones secreted when we sing

As with music, using the vocal cords has great power over our health and well-being. According to Samira Ben Hadj Yahia, medical gynecologist and obstetrician trained in prenatal singing, when we sing, we emit vibrations that produce the happiness hormone, endorphin:

Sound vibrations at the brain level will increase the secretion of endorphins, these neuromediators inhibiting pain and well-being.

You surely know the effects of these hormones, they play a central role in our organism!

They intervene in the reward and pleasure circuits and provide a feeling of happiness. They reduce pain, regulate respiratory frequency as well as stress through an analgesic and anxiolytic action.

We can say that singing chases away dark thoughts and relaxes us. It’s a natural antidepressant that we prescribe to you without moderation. Sing! It will make you happy!

Physical Well-Being?

singing and pleasure hormones

We’ve just seen that singing is beneficial for the mind. However, we mustn’t forget that this practice also has effects on the body. Singers insist a lot on the physical well-being that singing provides them. As with sports, it engages the entire body and provides a feeling of emptiness. This is explained by dopamine, a molecule that like endorphin gives a pleasant sensation. It plays a role in addictions, love and sexual pleasure. When we sing, our brain secretes it. Singing involves good posture and breathing work that is very physical. To sing correctly, you must stand straight, plant your body in the ground and relax your shoulders. It’s necessary to combine this position with abdominal breathing similar to that practiced in yoga. This exercise requires a certain concentration on your belly so that it’s the only one to swell. The chest must remain intact. It’s through slow and deep breaths that we can improve our capacities, since we know sounds and vibrations come from the air we inhale and exhale. It promotes oxygenation of our organism and stimulates our muscles. We can affirm, singing does you good!

The Miracle Remedy for Letting Go and Building Confidence

singing confidence self-development personal accomplishment overcoming oneself thanks to music thanks to the stage

Singing is a good exercise for overcoming others’ gaze and asserting yourself. Interpreting a song in front of someone else requires setting aside the fear of judgment. Some have known those moments during which we lose our means, becoming incapable of emitting a sound because stress was so strong. Johnny Hallyday is a good example. Indeed! A large number of people in his entourage testified and described the singer as being sensitive and extremely shy:

He was especially extremely shy. Sometimes it was him who didn’t dare talk to people. As soon as we understood that and broke the ice, we realized he was sensitive..

Even if it’s difficult for some of us to let go in front of an audience, once the effort is made we feel great satisfaction. Seizing the opportunity to sing in front of a group of people results in a feeling of success that values and increases self-confidence. Detach yourself and free yourself from all these constraints for better self-esteem.

When I go on stage, I no longer have any apprehension about anything, I have confidence

Johnny Hallyday

Singing Increases Socialization

An image containing person, ceiling, dark, singing and friends, singing and family, singing and good memories

The advantages of singing are not limited only to a physical and psychological level. Singing brings us together! Many of you have known this great experience during which you sang collectively facing a music stand. Within a choir or during singing lessons we find our musical place but also learn to live in community. It’s teamwork that asks singers to listen to each other in order to sing in harmony and perfect cohesion. Feelings of sharing found in important or festive moments of life, with family, friends or even strangers! Karaoke, weddings, concerts, improvised evenings that go on… Not forgetting the most common, most frequent and universal event: birthdays! We all know this song that celebrates the passing years and we’ve all assimilated it in different languages. It connects us to each other. We therefore confirm that singing is an activity that promotes social bonds. It gives the opportunity to make new encounters and have intergenerational exchanges. Let’s continue to gather around a table, in a bar, at karaoke or at home to share moments that will remain engraved in our memory!

Conclusion

We’ve explored together the benefits of singing. There’s no recipe or rule for feeling the benefits of singing! No need to sing right, no need to know music theory or even have a limited repertoire. So, sing off-key, sing well! Rock? Nursery rhymes? Jazz or pop? Choose the genres you want! Let’s use our vocal cords and flourish!