Singing for Health

Singing and Cancer?
Singing and endorphins?
Singing and cellular function?
Singing and wellness?

Science is finally starting to show more data about the benefits of singing for your health and wellness.

We singers and singing teachers have known for centuries that the link between music, singing and health has always been there, so we welcome the current research on this topic.

Alas, since this kind of research cannot provide a “cure-all” pill or surgical procedure to produce instant health or wellness gratification, not much money is devoted to the science behind it.

“I would teach children music, physics, and philosophy; but most importantly music, for the patterns in music and all the arts are the keys to learning” —Plato

However, there are a few things you can piece together from different types of research:

• Singing Changes Your Brain
• Healing Power of Song
• Prenatal Singing Benefits (for adults)
• U.C. Berkeley Wellness
• Torbay Medical Research Fund, UK
• Jstor Music and Health

These are just a few instances of what can be said about singing for health and wellness. Even birds innately understand that singing for the sheer joy of it (as well as for communicating with others) is crucial to LIFE!

As far as people, even Plato knew about the benefits of music, singing and health. He considered it so important that he felt the teaching of it was of prime importance in any education system. Other Athenians understood its value too.

In fact, it used to be the such common knowledge—crucial value of music and singing in education—that it was part of the regular curriculum in the American education system. Not any more though. Sadly, few schools see the value in teaching music, even though Plato and others before and after him understood its importance.

But that is another super important topic about singing and health for another time…

For now, I leave you with this:

“Singing and music release wonder. And if you want a marvelous lifting off point from your worries and sorrows, walk through the threshold of wonder. It will lead you to a quiet place of loving-kindness and the possibility for better health.”—Joy Sikorski