Singing is human nature; it has existed ever since we have. The act of singing has always been a way to encourage social cohesion, whether it be through rallying troops for conflict or preparing a community for social engagement. Throughout all of time, vocal expression has been prevalent in every culture, religion, and . Nowadays, students like seniors Haylee Wisinski and Josie Blankstein participate in choir programs here at CHS, fine tuning their voices to be as pristine as possible.
CHS has many student-led acapella groups: U Got Male, She Major, Con Brio, and Take Notes. Haylee is the co-leader of Take Notes, a non-audition program with a mixed ensemble. She has the responsibility of organizing practices and events, picks the songs to perform, and organizes singers so they learn all of the parts cohesively. It can be difficult at times for Haylee to organize everyone, however, she said that most of the choir students are usually well-behaved and nice, making it generally easy and fun to run the group.
Choir participants are usually well-behaved and nice outside of CHS as well. The Chorus Impact Study (2018) recently revealed that people who participated in choir typically have better mental health. The communal act of singing releases dopamine, endorphins, and oxycontin, keeping people’s moods high and strengthening their bond with other individuals; these effects can benefit people’s mental health in the long run. When asked, Haylee said that she feels better and more relaxed after singing. It is a good outlet for her and many others.
Not only does choir help with mental health, but studies done by Oxford University have shown singing improves physical health as well. Singing in a group allows you to meet more people, and having a good social network can provide more health benefits than quitting smoking. Singing can also help improve breathing, posture, and muscle tension. There’s also some evidence it can help sustain a healthy immune system, by reducing cortisol and boosting the Immunoglobulin A antibody.
The effect choir has on mental health can help improve cognitive ability, long-lasting good mental health reduces brain fog and helps strengthen the connectivity between many parts of the brain. In a study published by Oxford, participants took a test where they were asked to list as many words as possible that start with the letter S within a 60-second time limit. The number they could produce went up when they sang in choirs. Studies show that choir students typically have better grades as well.
The increase in cognitive performance in singers can be a side effect of good mental health, however, it also comes from knowing how to perform with a group. When singing with a choir, Josie Blankstein has to pay attention to a lot of details. She says, “I have to pay attention to the sheet music, the actual music, and other people’s voices.” This can help increase cognitive development. Singing in groups also helps the brain come up with words quickly, verbal flexibility is another side effect.
In all, singing has nothing but good side effects. The rate of singing in groups is increasing, due to many factors like school, religion, and the obsession with singers in pop culture. When asked, Josie said she joined the choir in the because when she was younger her parents made her sign up. She, however, says that she is continuing to sing because she actually finds it enjoyable. Singing is still a huge part of every human’s life, it helps bring communities together in harmony, leading to a positive effect on us all.
