Samir Savant explores the many benefits of singing, from enhancing cognitive development in children and aiding memory in older adults, to improving lung function, regulating hormones, and fostering a strong sense of community.
I’m Samir Savant, CEO of St George’s Bristol, but more importantly for this readership, a singer! I’ve sung since I was a boy, in various guises – as a soloist, in various choirs, even as a singing waiter…
Since I arrived in Bristol three years ago, I’ve been told that there are more choirs per head of population here than anywhere else in the UK. I’m sure many of you will feel the same about your own locality, but I have been sufficiently intrigued to start an annual Festival of Voice at St George’s celebrating the human voice in all its glorious variety. Each year we plan a massed singing event and this year’s project was ‘Sing for Happiness’, which combined communal singing with important research into the positive impact of singing on mental health. It has been so successful that we are repeating it all again this Christmas and next year.
I gave a TEDx talk last year, which is now publicly available, on why singing is good for you. I’d love for you to watch it, and I’ve summarised it below. I also have an Instagram account – The Singing Guru, my post about hormones has gone viral with over 3 million views!
Here are five reasons why singing is good for you:
- Singing is good for the brain – it aids crucial speech development and language skills in young children, right through to stemming memory loss in older adults with dementia – this is proven through many expert studies
- Singing is good for other parts of the body – it’s good for posture, and it’s good for the lungs and aids your breathing functions, it is known to help people with asthma, those with long Covid and those with chronic lung conditions
- Singing is great for your hormones, it helps to stimulate the production of endorphins, serotonin and dopamine, which make us feel happy and relaxed. Singing in groups is particularly effective at stimulating oxytocin – produced when we feel a real sense of connection and bonding, such as a mother singing to their baby. Singing can help reduce levels of cortisol, which is an essential hormone but is high when we are stressed
- Moving on from the body to the heart and soul, singing is great for creative self-expression, it helps us deal with complex emotions, such as grief, and gives us self-confidence. It has definitely helped me for decades in terms of public speaking and holding a room
- Finally, singing brings us all together – whether it be hymn-singing in church or football chants on the terraces, singing is a communal activity which has encouraged social cohesion ever since we as humans could talk
The benefits of singing can vary from person to person, and everyone can experience and enjoy singing in their own unique way. Whether you are a professional singer or love singing as a hobby, it can have many positive effects on your overall well-being. As Icelandic singer Bjork has said: ‘Singing is like a celebration of oxygen’.
Watch Samir's TEDx talk on YouTube and find out more about the 'Singing for Happiness' project on the St George’s Bristol website. Follow Samir's Instagram account – The Singing Guru for more content on why singing is beneficial.
