Ten Health and Healing Benefits of Singing

Although the art of singing has gained prominence over the years, as almost every up-coming artiste want to be a singer or a music, but it is not clear if these aspirants and even professionals are aware of the great benefits this art of singing wields on humans- young and old, hale and ill.I'm sure if they know, they will do all at their ends to ensure their songs impact all spheres of human life.

It was this singular reason that made musicians, medical doctors and other professionals to converge at the Southbank centre to put paid on the health and healing benefits of singing.Their discussion focused on - singing and its impact on dementia sufferers’, ‘singing and mental wellbeing‘, ‘the impact of singing on children‘, and ‘singing for breathing’, the latter a chance to explore how singing benefits those with breathing and lung disorders.

According Mary King - director of Southbank Centre’s VoiceLab, the opening of the  throat  relaxes the body, while the production of distinct notes brings pleasure.

Aside from the feel-good factor, singing also brings physical benefits which includes:

• increased lung capacity
• increased immunity and 
• greater oxygenation of the blood resulting in improved alertnes

 Dr Graham Welch, professor at the Institute of Education also asserted that ‘singing is of great interest to neuroscientists as it would seem that there is more of the brain given over to the processing of music than almost any other activity.’ One recent study of four to five-year-olds found that those with musical training showed enhanced language abilities and memory for words, and there is evidence that taking part in musical activities improves certain aspects of non verbal reasoning, literacy and numeracy. Even infants benefit from exposure to musical stimulus: the pitch and rhythm of the speech used to communicate with infants are thought to be vital to their developing understanding of language.

Singing can also help to restore communication. Mr John Rubin, president of the British Voice Association and specialist in voice disorders and laryngeal surgery, says that he has occasionally sent patients with vocal weaknesses or vocal fold paralysis to singing lessons if he feels that speech therapy hasn’t given them enough benefits. Likewise, singing plays a useful role in stroke rehabilitation. Mary King remembers working with one particular stroke victim who had lost the power of speech. ‘He had been a keen amateur singer and when you sang him a song that he knew well you could see that his mouth was making the vowel shapes that were attached to the tune, so through singing he was able to access some part of his linguistic skill.’ Similar benefits have been noted in patients with Parkinsons Disease.

Now that you've known the power of the art you've got there, use it WELL!!!

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About Topsyoba Blog

Temitope Obayendo is an Integrated Communicator, Marketer, Blogger, PR Consultant, and a genuine child of God