Benefits Of Singing

@cyrus123 (6363)
United States
June 26, 2009 1:33am CST
I enjoy singing a lot. I majored in music (voice) when I was in college. I practice singing and playing the guitar every night except Sunday Night and Wednesday Night. Those are both church nights for me and I need a break sometimes. I can tell the difference in the way I sound when I miss a night of singing, though. The reason why I practice so much is because I sing at one nursing home and one assisted living facility every month. It makes me feel good to know that I cheered up these residents. There are physiological benefits to singing: You use your lungs in a way you probably don't use them the rest of the day; you breathe deeply and openly. There are also psychological benefits to singing: Singing makes you feel good. It leaves you with a sense of levity and contentedness. When you sing with a group of people, you learn how to subsume yourself to the group consciousness-because acapella singing is all about the immersion of the self into the community. That's one of the great feelings: To stop being me for a little while, and to become us. That way lies empathy; the great virtue. Singing in front of people is very beneficial because it uplifts your spirit, releases tension from a stressful life, and gives a person a sense of being appreciated and esteemed. How many of you like to sing a lot? Kathy.
5 people like this
8 responses
@vivianchen (2646)
• China
26 Jun 09
Hi Cyrus, I think it's cool that you know how to play gituar and sing! I fell in love with my first boyfriend becasue he was good at playing guitar and sing! lol. I agree with you. Music can give people love and cheers and happiness, when you are singing, you feel like the whole world is litening to you, feels good and refresh, singing even make you cheer up when you are disappointed on something. Cheers!
@GardenGerty (157551)
• United States
27 Jun 09
This discussion reminds me of the times as a small child when my Uncle would play a lot of old songs as we sat on the back porch. No air conditioning, not many fans, and really bad tv reception. We had lots of family fun doing those things. He played folk or country type songs. Not country music as we know it but more like dance songs like Cotton Eyed Joe and things from many years ago, ballads and the like.. We little cousins would turn up wash tubs upside down and dance on them.
2 people like this
@cyrus123 (6363)
• United States
27 Jun 09
This is so true!! Thank you for responding. Kathy.
@Citychic (4067)
• United States
6 Jul 09
Hey friends, I was watching the Jackson five's early life, when they first got started into music and it took me all the way back to my own childhood. When my mom would turn on the music it would be free for all. All of my siblings would jump on the floor in the living room and start showing momma what we could do. At that time, nobody acted shy or scared, it was as if we didn't have a care in the world. I guess you could say, those were some of the joys of our childhood. The best part was that we didn't have to pay a dime to have that kind of fun. So I know what you mean about how good music can make you feel...... Happy mylot!
1 person likes this
@nzalheart (2338)
• India
27 Jun 09
Hello cyrus123!!! That is very true Kathy. There are really many many benefits of singing and music. Cheering up some one with our music is the very nice and contented feeling. I hope your life is going on very much superb with the musical profession. I also practice a lot of singing. But I am not having guitar nowadays, so boring. My uncle has taken it for some days, I wonders when do he bring back and I could sing with it again. Where there is a will, there is a way. Though I keep singing without the guitar haha...This is also a good practice for voice. It develops the capability of the voice. The only difference that can be brought in this world to establish peace is the music. I remember sitting in front of a peaceful concert with the candles. That was so much heart teaching that the song touched right at my heart and make me feel shivered. The evening was superb. I could feel the power of music that time. If everyone could understand the greatness of this music then the world would be in peace and unity. The benefits of singing are many in the personal case also. That feels very nice to keep singing and loose in our own world. Many times we get tired from our reality and with singing, we can enter into the whole new world, where the world is totally our own. Thanks for starting a nice discussion. Keep posting Kathy... Happy mylotting and good luck singing...
2 people like this
@nzalheart (2338)
• India
27 Jun 09
Though not very nice and not professional, Okay I will record a piece soon and upload it anywhere on the net. They you can listen to it. Thanks for being interested... And I wonder you also could post your voice. I can't do any acapella singing. At first I didn't know what you meant. I think this singing requires lot of head voice mastering isn't it? But I am not very nice at doing those things, I have to say zero in it...
1 person likes this
@cyrus123 (6363)
• United States
27 Jun 09
Hey nzalheart! How are you doing? Yes, I know how much you like to sing and I'm glad you practice it a lot. I just wish I could hear you sometime. Do you plan to put a video on youtube anytime in the future? I hope it won't be much longer until you get your guitar back. I agree with the saying where there's a will, there's a way, also. If I didn't have my guitar, I could accompany myself on the piano. I've done that a lot in the past. I can sing acapella as well. That's the way we sing in church. Yes, it is very good practice for the voice. I bet the concert with the candles was very nice. Who was performing, btw? Thank you for responding. Kathy.
• United States
27 Jun 09
I can sing, mostly as a hobby these days. I used to have a great singing voice before I got sick. The benefit of singing is being able to do it with others and being able to have fun. Singing is another form of communication, only it conveys emotions better than talking does.
2 people like this
@cyrus123 (6363)
• United States
27 Jun 09
I sing mostly as a hobby these days, too. I was very serious about wanting to be a professional singer when I was younger. I made a record one time. I auditioned for jobs at Opryland three times and auditioned for a job at Six Flags Over Georgia one time. I've been on television several times. You name it, I've done it. I didn't care to perform in a bar because I would be in trouble in church if they knew I worked in one. I just sing as volunteer work now. Yes, singing does convey emotions better than talking does and like you said, it's also a lot of fun. Thank you for responding. Kathy.
1 person likes this
@Citychic (4067)
• United States
6 Jul 09
Benefits of singing.......... Hello Kathy, thanks for submitting such a wonderful post. It's nice to hear that you are so gifted at singing. Well for me singing is something that I have always loved and seem to have a natural knack for doing. I have sung in a few competitions and I try to work on my singing as often as I can. If you go to youtube you can hear me there singing if you'd like. You can pm me for code and I will be happy to share it with you and also to get some feedback if it's not too much to ask. Most of my singing lessons just came from other people that I happened to be around. A few times I was singing in the church but then I began to feel as if God had something bigger for me. I simply haven't found it yet. I believe that singing is my passion but I don't know if I will ever seriously pursue it or not. The way you mentioned, singing acapella and singing for community was very helpful tips because even though I've done both and I enjoy both. I don't think that I've ever been able to figure out where exactly my niche would be at if I ever did decide to sing professionally or not. I guess it would be nice to be a lead singer then have a choir to back me up but whenever I sing alone without a choir, I find it kind of hard to do sometimes because it's nothing like having a few more people on stage knowing they are in your corner and that you're not alone. Anyhow, you can tell that I like music alot because I'm going on and on. I just wished that I had of gotten into it earlier in my life. Maybe that could have helped me to be able to overcome a little bit of the stage fright that I feel from time to time. Usually I just try to shake it off. But I do enjoy singing in front of people. Well talk back with me soon because this is a very interesting conversation. Glad we have found a mutual connection. Please tell more about your singing experiences. I had thought about going to nursing homes and singing too but I am curious who you would have to okay it through. Like what i mean is, you can't just walk up into someone's room and start singing right???
1 person likes this
@cyrus123 (6363)
• United States
7 Jul 09
I saw your videos on youtube and I thought they were great! You did a very good job, I thought. Nzalheart is also one of my mylot friends and I must have gotten the link from him. I don't remember now. We sing acapella where I go to church so singing without music is not hard for me. When I sing at the nursing home and assisted living facility, I accompany myself on the guitar, though. I also sing in the Messiah every year around Christmastime (I plan to do a discussion about this one of these days)and I have had a solo, which is a lot of fun. It can be nerve wracking, though. I have been singing in front of people all my life and I still get stage fright sometimes, believe it or not. I have also heard that a lot of professional singers still get nervous at times so I guess it's just natural. I think the more you do it, the more you relax. I know I do. If you decide to sing at nursing homes, you can contact the activity director of that nursing home and youall can work out a day and time in the month that you can come. Just call or go by the nursing home and ask to speak with the acitivity director. He/she will arrange for you to sing in the acitivity room or cafeteria and residents will either come in by themselves or some of the employees will bring them in in wheelchairs, etc. Don't get discouraged if the residents don't respond to your singing. It's not that they don't enjoy it. They do. It's just that they get despondent for different reasons. You can get them to sing along if they like and some will if they know the song. Also, don't get discouraged if not many people come to hear you sing everytime. Sometimes you will get a large group and sometimes you will have very few. It just depends on how most of the residents are feeling and sometimes there are a lot of sicknesses going around. Just different reasons. I've been singing at nursing homes since the '70s so believe me, I know. I hope you decide to do this. It would make you feel good to know that you've made someone else feel good. I know it does me. Kathy.
@jheLaichie (4438)
• Philippines
26 Jul 09
i love singing my friend. it always feels good to see people adored what you did to them even with just a simple song to entertain and make their days and time good and worth it. i am also into singing. i am in the choir. i sang in churches and even some events. i am the soloist ion our group. and it feels great to be able to perform and just sang your heart out to the people and be appreciated with what you have done to them. the contentment and happiness cannot be bought by anything else. jhelai
@cyrus123 (6363)
• United States
28 Jul 09
Yes, it is very true that you make people happy when you sing for them. This is especially true when you sing for the nursing homes and assisted living facilities. I wish I could hear you sing sometime. You must be really good if you are the soloist in your group. How about posting a video of you singing on youtube sometime? I plan to do this sometime in the future when I learn how to do it. I also sing in the Messiah every year around Christmastime. I plan to do a discussion on this when we start practicing, which will be in September. I had a solo last year. I don't know if I will have it again this year or not. I will have to audition again, though. Kathy.
@John4Christ (1597)
• India
26 Jun 09
Well I am not at all a professional singer and neither am I a bathroom singer......I love singing and I never realized it until one fine day I was forced to sing during one of my college competitions. my friends were just equally amazed as i was.....I never knew I could sing that good......so from that time i used to practice a bit of singing at home......I play the keyboard so I had music to accompany my song.....i just used to play a tune and sing to it.......I play for my prayer group now and that has helped me regale my passion for music......I feel when used for meditations and prayers.....singing could actually become one of the most powerful instruments in it......I have read it in many places that when you sing you tend to release all your frustrations, tensions, depressions, etc and yes it certainly has worked for me.......I won few awards in college for singing, but that's not my real goal......I love singing anyways whether I loose or whether I win.......it is always cool for me......
2 people like this
@cyrus123 (6363)
• United States
26 Jun 09
Hi John4Christ! I'm glad you feel this way about singing. Yes, it does relieve a lot of frustrations, tensions, etc. That's something I didn't think to mention in my discussion. Congratulations on the singing awards you won in college! I bet it was quite a surprise to you to know that you could sing. You probably could do it but you just weren't aware of it. I've always sung, myself, and I always wanted to be a professional singer. It's hard to get a break in the music business. There are people out there trying to make it all the time and a lot of good ones, too. Both of my sisters were musical, too. They both sang and played the piano. I play the piano some but I'm more into the guitar. Thank you for responding. Kathy.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (157551)
• United States
26 Jun 09
I am the opposite of you. The only times I sing are Sundays and Wednesdays, at church. I sing in the church choir. I agree that it is about being us, and not me. Many of us enjoy the repetitive practicing because, no matter how much the music blesses the other worshippers, it blesses us more and over and over again as we work to improve ourselves and the presentation.
1 person likes this
@cyrus123 (6363)
• United States
26 Jun 09
I think that's about the only time most people do sing. The reason why I say this is because it's true, for one thing, and when I sing at the nursing home and assisted living facility, I sing mostly religous songs because they mostly like songs they know and have heard all their lives. About the only time they ever did any singing was in church and they will sing along sometimes if they know the song. I will sing a country song occasionally, though, and if they request one. Kathy.
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
26 Jun 09
KATHY, u are such a sweetie to go sing for them. u mantioned this before to me & i think it's great.U WILL HAVE STARS IN YOUR CROWN. As for my singing,, i do sing but just around the house. When my sister & i were young we sang at church.i sing along w.the radio all the time at home & in the car. it's sucn a beautiful sound, .
1 person likes this
@cyrus123 (6363)
• United States
27 Jun 09
Thank you for responding. Singing makes you feel good, doesn't it? Kathy.