Why is singing therapeutic?

The fear of speaking in public or performing in public is a common fear that almost everyone has. This fear is second only to dying. You can build your self-confidence in a number of ways, but the most fun is probably through singing. Besides improve your outlook on life, singing also is therapeutic and healthy to do. According to Time Magazine, group singing has been proven to lower stress, relieve anxiety and elevate endorphins in your brain. Over time, singing changes your brain, making you more relaxed and healthy. It transforms you into a new person with new attitude.

How Does That Happen?

As you sing, vibrations go through you and change your physical and emotional makeup. For those who have done it, group singing has proven exhilarating. When you sing, you take some intimate part of you and share it with a roomful of people. Then, what you hear is harmony. Because of this aspect, group singing is on the rise.

According to Chorus America, 32.5 million American adults sing in choirs, an increase of 10 million just six years ago. They all aren’t singing in church either. More than 270,000 choruses across the country are available, touting every genre of music known.

In Tampa Bay, Breakthrough Voice Seminars is bringing its therapeutic singing workshop to help people feel more confident. The company has been teaching people about the voice and how it helps for more than 20 years. Voice Visionaries and co-owners of the company Tess and Mick Pulver have known for years what science is just now discovering.

What Does Research Say?

Researchers have learned that singing is like a tranquilizer and energy booster all in one. They believe the changes come from endorphins, a hormone released by singing and feelings of pleasure. However, you also release oxytocin, a hormone that eliminates stress and anxiety. Oxytocin builds your feelings of trust and bonding, which might explain why singing lessens feelings of depression and loneliness. If you think about history, stories have always been told through song and dance. Humans have come together for a common purpose in our ancestry. Today, it’s not as dramatic, but our roots remain with us.