Lady Sings the Not-so-Blues

By Catherine Middleton-Hardie, Treasurer

Still feeling the winter blues? Get singing!

Did you know that when you come to Chorale you are helping to improve your mental health? Not only that, you may also be improving the mental health of your fellow choristers.

Historically, music has been universally valued for its psychological and physiological effects on humans. Ancient Greeks, Egyptians and Chinese investigated music and its influence on health and documented the therapeutic uses of music for healing purposes.

In modern times, music has been widely studied in the clinical and non-clinical setting for health benefits and has a demonstrated a wide range of physiological effects on the human body including changes in heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, skin conductivity, skin temperature, muscle tension, and biochemical responses. Music therapy has shown positive effects in treatment of neurological disorders including schizophrenia, amnesia, Parkinson's disease, and Tourette’s syndrome.

​Music therapy has also been used effectively to alter mood by decreasing anxiety, sensation of pain, agitation and depression contributing to improved health outcomes in multiple patient populations including those with cancer, dementia or Alzheimer's disease. Music therapy has also shown to be effective in treating depression in veterans with deployment-related stress-disorders.

Singing, and in particular choral singing has dramatic positive psychological effects. The act of singing releases endorphins, the brain's "feel good" chemicals. Choral singing has shown positive benefits to reducing depression in cancer patients, the elderly and in the general population. Choral singing also alters mood by encouraging social interaction. As an encouraged form of self-expression, music plays an important role in the communication of feelings and group identity.

​So shake off those winter blues and give yourself a mental health boost each Sunday night singing with friends at the Magnolia Chorale!

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