I’ve always heard people say that singing feels good. But did you know singers of all levels have claimed they’ve felt a variety of benefits from singing? I read a fascinating article by scientists from the University of Frankfurt in Germany, that found evidence that singing can help people’s immune system. I was not surprised to read this, because I’ve heard folks say they’ve felt an array of effects after singing. Some effects included increased alertness, improved circulation to their body and felt their lung capacity grew. Some folks even said they felt their mood change after singing. To me, these claims, of feeling better after singing, have been consistent, because scientists have been studying the health benefits of singing for decades. This current research has further validated mine and other singers’ intuition – Singing lessons is good for you in all kinds of ways!
Health Benefits of Singing Lessons from Elite Music, Toronto
I feel some health benefits of singing are pretty easy to verify. I read an article from CBC from 2018 that talked about how singing alone or with a group consistently boosts people’s mood and creates unity toward feeling a sense of belonging. Daniel Levitin, who is a psychology professor at McGill University explained that brain activity changes when folks sing together. This process produces feelings of belonging and mood elevation, which are connected to communal singing. Singing has an incredible influence on the body and mind, and can impact your whole body’s alignment. When you sing, you engage your abdominals, which support your diaphragm, which controls your lungs release of air through your vocal folds, which create a vibration that resonates in your throat, oral and nasal passages. So yes, it is logical to think that singing is a full body workout, because it is! With an improved circulation during vocalization the various groups of abdominal muscles, the obliques, abdominis, intercostals and even the pelvic floor, are engaged when singing, leading those muscle groups to become more developed.
Physical & Mental Wellbeing with Voice Lessons in Toronto
I recently found a great quote from Professor Graham Welch, who is the Director of Educational Research at University of Surrey, Roehampton, in the UK who said, “Singing makes us breathe more deeply than many forms of strenuous exercise, so we take in more oxygen, improve aerobic capacity and experience a release of muscle tension as well.” The latter point of Professor Welch’s quote is particularly relevant for singing lessons, because releasing extra tension is a main focus of voice practice. The more you sing the more you will notice there are always pesky extra muscles getting in the way, and a teacher will help you to identify those muscles and coax them into relaxing. Professor Welch further notes that when people begin to vocalize, their chest expands, straightening the spine which can help improve posture. And most excitingly, Professor Welch confirms that there is science behind the joy felt when singing; singing leads to the release of endorphins that make you feel energized and uplifted! It is amazing to read and witness in my lesson’s ways singing can support our physical and mental wellbeing.
Let me leave off here with one more advantage to singing classes that I’ve noticed while teaching singers of all ages. Learning to let your voice ‘out’ can really boost your confidence. As we grew up, we’ve been taught to use our “inside voice” and say ‘sorry’ if we got ‘too loud’. While singing doesn’t have to be loud, in our classes we get to take off, test our vocal limits, breathe deeply, open our mouths, and let our sound shine unapologetically! Singing can be cathartic, because once my student feels comfortable and gives themselves permission to use more of their voice, I first see a surprised look on their face, followed by a smile of satisfaction. When you find confidence in your voice, that confidence translates into other aspects of your life.
Once you’re comfortable singing for yourself and your teacher, you can carry that confidence into singing with a group, and from what we have learned, communal singing can support positive social experiences. Check us out at Elite Music Academy in Toronto, GTA, East York on January because we are bringing back our Musical Theatre group classes for kids which is the perfect place for kids to explore and play with their voices, remove their limits and most of all have a blast sharing their voice with others!
Check out our wide range of music lessons & instrument lessons and sign up for a class at Elite Music today!
