Anyone Who Can Speak, Should Sing
By: S. J. Gordon
Tags: Health, Music, Self, Life, Mental Health

If you are capable of speech, you have the ability to sing. We won’t all sound alike, of course, and you may prefer the sounds of some people over others, but we are all able to sing.

Most of us learned some basic songs at a very early age. We sang The Alphabet Song and various nursery rhymes such as Mary Had a Little Lamb or Rock-a-bye, Baby. What’s more, we sang them without worrying about how it sounded. We just belted it out for the sheer pleasure of doing so.

The fact that it just felt good and natural to sing should have been an important message to us, but we didn’t listen.

We let go of that pleasure as we got older. Somewhere along the way, we learned to be fearful of bursting into song whenever the fae mood was upon us.

It’s important to reclaim that joy, for the sake of our bodies as well as our psyches.

How do I know? Experience. Lots of experience.

I sing. A lot. All the time. Daily. It’s what I do. I wouldn’t call myself a professional (though I have been paid at different times), but I am a reasonably accomplished amateur. I have had the opportunity to study voice and have been singing in different choirs for roughly forty of my fifty years. I couldn’t, and wouldn’t want to, imagine my life without song.

Singing Actually Changes Your Body

I’m an asthmatic and I can personally attest to the prophylactic benefits of singing to strengthen the muscles of the respiratory system, helping to defend it against infection.

After contracting a whopping case of bronchitis, my doctor was amazed at the speed of my recovery. He advised me to never give up singing because he was certain it was what saved me from developing pneumonia.

But singing can do even more.

· Singing can positively affect the endocrine system. It reduces the levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, in the body. It increases oxytocin production and encourages the release of endorphins, all of which aid in reducing the negative effects of stress.

· The reduction of stress can lead to a lowering of the blood pressure which benefits both heart and brain.

· It is an aerobic activity. Singing oxygenates the blood which provides an energy boost and promotes better brain function.

· The use of the mouth, throat, airways, lungs, and diaphragm to sing strengthens the muscles and can help to alleviate mild asthma symptoms.

It comes down to this: Singing makes you, physically, healthier. Being healthier is going to lead to feeling better. Singing makes you feel better.

See? We already knew this when we were kids.

If you can’t remember a time when you loved to sing, watch a group of children. They’ll remind you. On key or way off, in tempo or not, it doesn’t matter. They love to sing for the sake of producing the sounds and for the way it feels. Some enjoy the lyrics and others just love to see how loud they can be. So much joy.

They aren’t considering their cortisol levels or how strong their diaphragms are. They are only enjoying how it feels to sing.

So, what happened?

At some point, we began to care what other people might think when we sing. Unfortunately, we aren’t always nicer as we get older, and judgement entered the social equation.

It took the fun out of singing.

I’ve even heard horror stories of children being told by a choir director to “Just mouth the words, dear, and don’t actually make any noise.” It’s a horrible thing for a child to hear and something I find unforgivable. It’s saying, “The way your vocal cords work is displeasing to me. I intend to silence you. Probably forever.”

Of all the instruments humans use to create music, nothing is so personal as our own voice. Violins, clarinets, and so on are tools in the hands of the player. The voice is an integral part of the human being. It’s personal because it’s a part of our person.

It’s worth saying again. Everyone can sing. Quality is subjective. We are all capable of producing music with our voices.

You don’t have to take center stage at the Met.

You just need to sing. The great thing about singing is you don’t need an audience. You don’t even need special equipment.

There are easy ways to bring singing back into your life.

1. Sing in the shower. Seriously, this is a great option. The acoustics in there are fantastic and you’ll feel totally ready for your audition for The Voice. The warm, moist air is good for your airways and soothes away dryness in the throat and sinuses. Take a deep breath and belt out some show tunes while you shampoo.

2. Sing in the car. I’m Ol’ Skool and like to sing along with the radio, but you can also create a personal playlist of songs you know and love. You can pick songs that boost your mood or calm your nerves, or just songs that have lyrics you can remember. Whatever flutters your vocal cords. You don’t need to worry about anyone hearing you, either. Traffic noise will cover pretty much anything and unless you’re louder than an ambulance siren, you’re pretty safe.

3. Sing karaoke. If you do like gadgets, a karaoke machine is a fun one to have around. You can pick up one with a screen to display lyrics for $100 or less (though you can go as wild as your wallet will permit, if you like) and it has the added benefit of being fun at a party. You can go out with friends to a local bar for karaoke night or have your own at home with YouTube. In fact, why don’t you give it a try, right now.

You did, didn’t you? Even if you didn’t form words, you hummed along, right? It was fun, wasn’t it? Don’t you feel better now?

Of course, if you don’t have a problem with singing in front of others, you can join a choir. A quick Google search will give you some local options. Churches, community centers, and community colleges often have choirs that are open to public participation. This adds a great social aspect. Make some music and make some friends.

Just do it.

The trick is just to do it. Before you try any other excuses about why you can’t, remember those songs we learned as kids. You still know the words to The Alphabet Song. Dig deep and I’m sure you can come up with the lyrics to a few nursery rhymes. Heck, learn all the verses to The Bastard King of England, for all I care, just don’t let your mother hear you using language like that and don’t tell her I suggested it to you.

But, please, do sing. You can and you should. Make use of the amazing musical instrument you carry built right in.

Above all, don’t ever just stand there and mouth the words.