Sing out loud, sing out strong . . .
Try it, it’s good for you.
Hello friend,
I gripped the handle of the jump rope, unaware of anyone or anything around me. My stage, a wooden picnic table, my audience, the trees, swings, and sky. Song after song, I belted out the melodies from all my favorite yellow vinyl records.
In those moments, I never worried about the pitch or if the words came out right, or even if anyone cared. Singing always made me feel alive, unencumbered with the worries of the world, then or now.
Music, lifting our voices together, spans across time and cultures. Singing together, blending our voices as one, on pitch or not, disregards our differences. We build community, connection, and collaboration, even if for the few brief minutes of a single song.
I have sung in choirs, folk groups, and with a band of friends bringing music to everything from weddings, parades, reunions, and even a couple of local bars, but not the rowdy kind. Our band included a stockbroker, a law librarian, a couple of oil executives, and a teacher, me.
We knew from the beginning our goal was not to hit the big time or travel on tour, drawing thousands and performing in huge arenas. We sang in corners, on floats, in backyards, and on occasion, a real stage.
We didn’t have a written mission statement, but we knew our purpose: to have fun, add joy, and bring people together through music. This group of “garage musicians and vocalists” shared friendship and a love of harmony.
Our infectious leader, “Texas T,” could get everyone dancing and singing along. I don’t remember any gig where he didn’t draw people into magical musical moments.
What is it about singing together that changes us, even for the length of a song? Modern technology allows neuroscientists to investigate how our brain functions, and in turn, how music, group singing, good or bad, benefits us physically, emotionally, and mentally. Our group never realized how we contributed to these benefits, but we often felt the difference.
We were born to sing. It’s primal and it’s tribal. Voice is the language of our hearts. It’s how we express ourselves.
—Tania de Jong, (How singing together changes the brain)
Tania gives ten reasons to make singing your drug of choice:
Release endorphins and increase levels of oxytocin
Improve posture, breathing, and blood flow
Save money: our voice is our free human instrument
Create new neural pathways and improve brain meta-plasticity
Ward off age-related decline by continuously ‘exercising’ your brain
Heal depression, strokes, and speech abnormalities
Promote social bonding and cohesion, and rediscover your own identity
Relieve mental health issues; feel happier, better connected, and supported
Connect with other diverse voices and your community
Be smarter, healthier, happier, and more creative
You may think you cannot sing, but sing anyway in the shower, in a closet, or with a group. It’s good for you.
You can find me singing to the flowers and along with the birds.
The garden is alive with the sound of music.
Sing Along
For Emi:
Words to Live By
“Sing like no one’s listening, love like you’ve never been hurt, dance like no one’s watching and live like it’s heaven on earth.”
—Attributed to Mark Twain
If you would like to read more from me, visit my website. I’ll be waiting for you there.
And always—
Be kind. Be Brave. Be You!
Kathryn
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