“Music makes everything better! It can
relieve pain, reduces stress, makes you work harder, and helps you relax. Music
is one of life's most beautiful gifts. To quote Jimi Hendrix: ‘Music doesn't
lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen
through music.’
“One of the best ways to capture the
benefits of music is through singing. It allows you to truly feel the song with
your mind, body, and soul. Research has shown singing can improve your health,
increase happiness and even extend your life! No
matter who or where you are, you can reap the many benefits of music by singing
along to some tunes! Sing wherever you are.
“Singing
is even good for your brain and can make you feel high.
It releases
endorphins, hormones that produce pleasure, simultaneous to
oxytocin, hormones that diminish
stress and anxiety. Oxytocin also decreases feelings of
depression and loneliness, making us feel more connected with the world, which
is precisely why singing with other people feels even better!
“A study done
by scientists at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden found people who sing
together become so connected they exhibit synchronized
heartbeats. Anyone who has ever been in choir can
attest to this. When the magical sound of several people singing together is
created, there is an unexplained unity between those singing.
“Singing also requires deep
concentration on breathing, which works major muscle groups in the upper body and is great
for both lung and cardiovascular health. Björn Vickhoff, the leader of the
study, stated: ‘Song is a form of regular, controlled breathing, since
breathing out occurs on the song phrases and inhaling takes place between
these. It gives you pretty much the same effect as yoga breathing. It helps you
relax, and there are indications that it does provide a heart benefit.’ Therefore,
one could make the argument that singing is better for you than doing yoga! Research has also
proven that singing produces lower levels of
cortisol, reducing stress while improving our immune systems.
“Lastly, a joint study from Harvard and Yale Universities in
2008 found singing increases life expectancy. If you want to feel less stressed, become happier, and live
longer: Start singing!” (New research says singing daily reduces stress, clears sinuses, and helps you live longer).
Hum If You Can’t Sing by Glen Brown
ReplyDeleteSo what if at every conflict in life we burst
into song – thoughtless as reciting a prayer –
reward our feet with a waltz or two,
congratulate ourselves with an aria
then tap dance our way through
the kitchen and dining room?
And suppose the musicians arrive early
each morning to tune up their strings
and oil their drums
while the white-gloved conductor waits
with his cue sheet at the breakfast table?
Would we expect a chorus prophesying disaster
or a fugue in D-minor for pension reform?
Why not ask for a drum roll through toiletry instead
or a diminuendo through dinner?
And what might our friends and spouse say
about all that sheet music stuffed in our pockets,
about our lives cluttered with voice lessons,
rehearsals and women dressed in high heels
and fishnet stockings?
Imagine the fun of it all, the spotlight
on us all as we dance and sing
throughout our lives with our pets joining in
with happy tails, and birds whistling
from their cages, encouraging applause
for our pitch-perfect responses each day.
Your poem, of course, touches the essence of it all.
ReplyDeleteHere is a love song by an illiterate peasant who nonetheless knows true love. It doesn't matter that the words are not in English. Music is its own language.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J7JM0tGgRY
“I'm pretty ignorant about opera and haven't seen even one live, but it doesn't matter if you don't understand the lyrics or if you have any musical training. This aria is truly one of the most beautiful things ever done by a human being. It has that ‘something’ that I can't describe, such power and emotion, truly embodied in the voice and interpretation of Maestro Luciano.”
Delete“We met Pavarotti in the Rome airport. He was standing by himself apparently waiting for someone, and my wife who cares little for celebrities approached Pavarotti and said how much she loved his music. He bowed, took her hand, kissed it and said, ‘My dear it gives me great pleasure to sing for you.’”
My mother gave me her love for music. One of my mother's favorite songs was sung by Mario Lanza: Nessum Dorma: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJZ2XA84MPI
Delete