Sing for Fun!

1. Listening to music
2. Spending five minutes with someone you like
3. Going outdoors
4. Helping someone else
5. Having a new experience

As a professional singer and singing teacher, I'm lucky enough to listen to music and sing every day and whilst listening to music is wonderful, singing provides even more happiness benefits. For starters, it increases secretory immunoglobin (SIgA) and lowers cortisol, and this means an overall reduction in stress! Singing also releases endorphins, which keep us healthy, can reduce pain and help us to stay happier. In fact, a study by Clift and Hancox (2001) showed that 93% of people found that singing made them happier. Singing also increases the heart-rate and is therefore a cardio-vascular activity - beats a step class in my opinion!

While singing in the car/shower/anywhere no-one can hear you, are all great ways to exercise the vocal chords, singing with other people can provide even greater benefits. A choir is a great place to get singing, increase your range, develop your ear, and learn great technique. It also provides us with nearly all 5 of the above happiness tips. It is often a new experience for members, it provides a way to meet like-minded people, and in clement weather it may even happen outside! You will most likely get the chance to help others, especially if you take part in a performing choir. Most choirs will perform for the elderly, the infirm and for charity.

Singing in a choir doesn't just provide an opportunity to help others. Australian research into choral singing found that being part of a choir boosted members in times of depression, major life changes and even during recovery from illness. Another study noted that choirs provide an opportunity for people to express themselves and for their true selves to shine through. Us Brits are notoriously tight-lipped and singing really does provide us with a unique opportunity to let out feelings that we may feel unable to do through spoken word. There is something extremely liberating about making as much noise as possible - ask any 3 year old!

In fact, 23.5 million American adults participate in choral singing on a weekly basis, according to the Chorus America Study! Singing predates the spoken word and is very much part of our history as humans, This seems to have been forgotten by modern society and the majority of ladies that join my choir are quick to tell me they haven't sung since they were children. This is such a shame because, in my opinion, not singing is like not laughing. Imagine a life with no laughter? In the same way, a life with no singing would have been unfathomable to our ancestors. There are plenty of choirs around, with a whole array of music genres being catered for, and finding one that inspires and motivates you shouldn't be a problem.

Christabel Cossins runs Sing Out Sister Ladies Choir in Steyning every Monday night at The Methodist Church. Choose from Sing For Fun (ideal for beginners) or Performer's Group (for those who want a challenge!). Call 07730 373142 for further details.