From singing in the car with family or friends to singing with complete strangers at a concert, group singing makes us feel good. It makes us want to do it again. But why?
It turns out, there’s science behind it, and the health benefits extend beyond feelings of happiness.
4 Biological Reasons Group Singing Boosts Health
Immune defense kicks in.
While scientists haven’t pinpointed exactly why, we know that when we sing in groups, pro immune behavior amplifies. A 2016 study led by London’s Royal College of Music showed a consistent increase in cytokine production—proteins that tell the body how to respond to inflammation, infection, and more—post choir singing.
One theory is that the cytokine production is linked to lowering of cortisol (the stress hormone) which leads us into our next biological result.
Stress levels decrease.
Many peer-reviewed studies over the years have found that listening to music reduces cortisol levels, but this particular one, led by the University of Salzburg that monitored hospitalized children, showed the difference between reducing stress using group singing and just music listening: “[children] who participated in a singing intervention had a larger significant decrease in cortisol levels over the five consecutive days compared with those participating in a music listening intervention.”
So, we know that the act of singing together takes that biological benefit to the next level. And while cortisol decreases, oxytocin (one of the “happy” chemicals) increases, creating space for positive mindsets.
We feel connected.
Childhood, parenthood, teacher-hood…they can all feel quite lonely at times. It’s easy to say “join a fill-in-the-blank” to make friends and find common ground, but the thing about singing is that it involves steady beat, teamwork, and more, which are all connected to increases in empathy, inclusion, and connection.
And since group singing is a versatile activity—using it at home, in the classroom, etc.—it opens up the possibility of big social-emotional growth in any learning environment.
Focus increases.
Finally, group singing can raise our ability to focus.
Research shows that just listening to music increases our brain’s ability to predict what’s next, but we have to listen intently to each other to sing in unison. Paying attention, not only to melodic, rhythmic, or lyrical cues, but to the mouths and body language of their peers, gives children a significant head start in school readiness.
Four biological reasons to do something fun? Let’s sing together!
Start your group singing journey today! For families, find a class near you. For teachers and home visitors, browse our 1:1, small group, and classroom solutions!