There are articles published every year on the Health Benefits of Singing.
Health Fitness Revolution supports singing as a physiological and emotional boost, from lowering blood pressure and lifting your mood to getting better sleep, strengthening your immune system and even living longer!
So, why doesn’t everyone do it? I get calls and emails every week from people who are interested in lessons mostly to boost their confidence so that they are not afraid to sing out. I believe at the heart of it, our fear of disapproval and judgement keeps us from singing out.
I would like to live in a world where people could sing without fear of being told they aren’t good enough. Singing professionally is a job for very few people, and the quality of “talent” and skill is widely varied amongst those we could agree are successful. The comments I hear frequently are
“I’m not a singer; I just want to be more comfortable singing.”
“I’m not a professional, just want to sing.”
When did we start making excuses for wanting to sing?
When I go play tennis with a friend, I don’t apologize for not being a professional player. I don’t not ride my bike, because I’m not trying out for the Tour de France. These singing competition TV shows are doing a doozy of a psychological beating for people who just want to sing. And, they may be boosting my business, so I don’t want to get to down on them. In case you need to hear it…
You do not need to be selling CDs to sing karaoke.
You do not need to book a gig at a bar to sing Happy Birthday to a friend.
You do not need to be told that you have a wonderful voice in order to sing anything anywhere!
A frequent question I get is why it’s easier to sing with other people than on our own. I think it’s because we don’t hear our own voices well enough to be distracted by nitpicking every possible perceived flaw. If you could memorize that easy (sometimes euphoric) feeling of singing with others and then duplicate it alone without judgement (try not to listen?) you might find the magic. Uplift has some other neurological explanations, and agrees:
The science is in. Singing is really, really good for you and the most recent research suggests that group singing is the most exhilarating and transformative of all.
Singing alone is vulnerable; and courageous. Just in case you haven’t been exposed to the brilliance and healing nature of Brené Brown’s work, her TedTalk is a good entry. I recommend her books and new NetFlix special too.
Come join me in the arena and lay your heart bare through singing! Ask me about Harmony classes this summer! The more the merrier!
julie