This post is for singer Will McMillan. It refers to singing in choirs, but I think singing with family around the campfire — or on the stage — would have the same effect on endorphins.
Slate recently adapted a chapter from Imperfect Harmony: Finding Happiness While Singing With Others, by Stacy Horn, Algonquin Books.
Horn says, “I used to think choir singing was only for nerds and church people. Since I was neither, I never considered singing in a group—even though I loved singing by myself. ”
She describes a period in her 20s when she was feeling really down. As she searched for ways to pull herself out of it, she remembered how happy she felt one time when she joined others to sing Christmas carols.
So, she continues, “I joined a community choir. Except that at that first performance, we didn’t sing Christmas carols—we sang a piece of music that was 230 pages long: Handel’s Messiah. It was magnificent. I was left vibrating with a wondrous sense of musical rapport. Since that performance, I haven’t found the sorrow that couldn’t be at least somewhat alleviated, or the joy that couldn’t be made even greater, by singing. …
“Music is awash with neurochemical rewards for working up the courage to sing. That rush, or ‘singer’s high,’ comes in part through a surge of endorphins, which at the same time alleviate pain. When the voices of the singers surrounding me hit my ear, I’m bathed in dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain that is associated with feelings of pleasure and alertness.
“Music lowers cortisol, a chemical that signals levels of stress. Studies have found that people who listened to music before surgery were more relaxed and needed less anesthesia, and afterward they got by with smaller amounts of pain medication. Music also releases serotonin, a neurotransmitter associated with feelings of euphoria and contentment. ‘Every week when I go to rehearsal,’ a choral friend told me, ‘I’m dead tired and don’t think I’ll make it until 9:30. But then something magic happens and I revive … it happens almost every time.’ More.
Makes me want to sing. (Thanks for the lead, Jean!)
Photo: Slate.com
Suzanne's Mom's Blog 
Yes, sing!
I’ve lately been contemplating our (my–I include me in our) need, in this era, for the scientific “statistics” that prove what we instinctively know. I mean, seriously, when “Whistle while you work,” was written, and going back millenia before that, “You surround me with songs of deliverance,” people KNEW. What singing does for the spirit.
I love this post. Thank you. Reminds me of one of my favorite documentaries in which singing toppled an oppressive, foreign-controlled government:
http://www.singingrevolution.com/cgi-local/content.cgi?pg=2
I know. Kind of silly to be talking about endorphins. I would think that being with other people and collaborating to make something beautiful would be enough explanation. Thanks for the link to the film — sounds cool. I will check it out.
THANK YOU, Suzanne’s mom, for this great blog entry. I am excited to track down the book you mention (as well as Tracy Lee’s video link). Hurrah for endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin! I have long been aware that the act of singing — alone or with others — tends to lift my spirits. What is also wonderful (and must relate in part to the dopamine released when singing vibrations interact with our ear drums) is how happy folks who attend a performance can become as a result of bearing witness to others making music. Ahh, the excellent mysteries of music! ps: I recently added an MP3 player to my blog site as you once recommended. Thanks for that idea, too.
Yes, I put the documentary that Tracy Lee likes on my Netflix list. And I love your MP3 at http://amusicalifeonplanetearth.wordpress.com/. Thanks so much for writing such a thoughtful comment!
Reblogged this on Sound Art Creator and commented:
How true!
Even singing alone makes me feel cheerful.