we can all make music

feelin' fine

Why singing together makes and keeps us well

All human cultures have used music as a pathway to health. In contemporary times it has been the music therapy profession that has led the way in building a body of objective evidence that proves that what humans have always known is, in fact, true.

What emerges from both the research and the philosophy of the music/health dynamic is an enormous diversity of approaches and impacts. As a generalisation, these can be thought of like this: individual / community; physical / mental; listening / learning / making; instrumental / vocal; remedial / preventative. Across each of these spectrums the benefits of engagement with music has been documented and applied.

Some specific examples:

Asthma sufferers and respiratory disease recoverers using singing and wind instrument playing as ways to get their lungs active.
People with Alzheimer's and dementia remember songs better than anything else, and respond positively in group singing sessions (in fact, have been shown to learn and remember new songs!).
People whose speech capacities have been reduced often use singing as a recovery strategy.
Parkinson's disease sufferers often find rhythmic exercise a useful way of delaying deterioration.
Stressful situations requiring calm and relaxation can be ameliorated through music.

The list goes on: endorphins, oxytocin and immunoglobulins are stimulated, cortisol levels affected, chronic pain and depression alleviated, cardiovascular activity stimulated ...

There is no doubt that music-making enhances the treatment of many kinds of afflictions.

But there's a lot more to health than recovery. How do we lessen the possibility of becoming sick in the first place? How do we stay healthy? It is now well established that wellbeing (a term often used as an alternative to the problematic phrase 'mental health') is hugely dependent on social connectedness. The more and closer connections we feel with the environment around us, the better able we are to stay mentally and physically healthy.

Making music together is an extremely effective way to initiate and experience these connections. The joy and vitality of making something beautiful with others, the excitement of discovering and exercising one's creativity, finding one's voice, being energised by the synergy that happens when a group harmonises, the confidence and validation that grows out of collaborative effort are all, given a supportive context, inevitable outcomes of collaborative music-making.

It's these emotions (along with the documented physical benefits) that keep us healthy - that help us to cope with inevitable pressures of life on this planet.

To conclude: singing together not only helps us get better - it keeps us fine, in mind, body and spirit.

we can all make music

feelin' fine

Why singing together makes and keeps us well

making a sound world together