Choir and Mental Health: A Guide for Community Choir Leaders
/Every choir leader will have many stories about what singing has done for their members, from boosting self-esteem to making connections and even changing lives. So it’s no surprise that the links between singing, improved personal/community wellbeing, and mental health are being increasingly celebrated. Many research studies outline the social, physical, and mental wellbeing benefits of singing, especially in a group. In over ten years of community singing with Starling Arts, we have witnessed the tremendous impact of singing on individuals and groups, and it has become more and more important to us that wellbeing and mental health become integral and important considerations in all aspects of our work.
In 2019-2020 Starling Arts undertook an extensive singing for wellbeing project as part of a set of celebrations for the company’s tenth birthday. A range of participants including choir members, community workshop participants, hospital and care home residents and school children took part in wellbeing-enhancing singing workshops. Some of their experiences were documented in a music video/mini-documentary celebrating the positive impact community singing has on mental health, alongside an original song The Voice Inside recorded by many of the participants, written by us as a response to the transformative power we have witnessed time and again in singing with groups. Other experiences were recorded and collected as part of a research project on the impact of singing on wellbeing - the results of which helped us create a document supporting other choir leaders to develop their own skills and approaches to singing for wellbeing. We’re sharing some of these reflections from our full report below.
Why do choir leaders need to think about singing for wellbeing?
Many individual singers testify that singing has had a beneficial impact on their mental health and wellbeing, so it could be assumed that the benefits come as a natural by-product of the work of choirs. However, from our experience wellbeing and mental health need to be carefully considered and built into the structures and practices of a singing group in order to achieve safe, long-lasting, and powerful effects.
Singing is an outlet, and it is therefore natural that strong emotions are stirred by music. These may already be immediately present in singers’ lives (such as singing after a tough day or in the midst of traumatic experience) or can evoke memories and associations. A choir is a community that can offer a social network that encourages open communication and support between both members, and leaders. It is therefore not surprising that choirs can feel like a family, with participants and leaders offering support, advice and guidance to those they sing with.
Creating a sense of happiness and joy for people and improving confidence both in singing and performing, as well as enhancing a feeling of community, has been something incredibly important for our members, but goes way above and beyond the traditional understanding of being part of a choir. There are many social and personal benefits to singing, but as group singing leaders, we also need to protect ourselves by being prepared for the emotional challenges we will inevitably encounter in our roles, and importantly we can do this by understanding the boundaries and expectations of our role.
FACILITATING FOR WELLBEING
Increasing the opportunity for social connection and personal growth within rehearsals starts with structure, content, and approach as curated by the choir leader/leadership team.
Our members reported that structure, routine, regularity, and familiarity all played an important role in making choir an uplifting, feel-good activity. These factors all increased a sense of safety, comfort, and community.
Our members also reported that being part of a non-judgmental, supportive and non-competitive environment was integral to their feelings of belonging and safety in the group. They reflected that this was enhanced by the structure, facilitation and delivery of sessions, including:
SOCIAL, INTERPERSONAL, MINDSET:
Warm-ups and icebreakers, allowing people to move into a positive, open and relaxed mindset and physical state enabling them to work collaboratively with others.
PERSONAL / WELL BEING:
Singing is a mindful activity, where it is possible to enter a state of flow. How the session is organised and facilitated can enhance other opportunities to develop mindful experiences and opportunities for personal growth and well-being.
BREATH AND BODY:
Breathing plays an essential role in the anatomy of singing while also offering psychological, physiological and wellbeing benefits.
MOVEMENT:
Stretching and warming up the body enables safe and supported singing, getting the body moving which is good for both physical and mental health, ridding the body of excess tension which may get in the way of physical and mental benefits. Movement also allows the body to connect with the breath, music and to others and can also help process emotions and experiences.
SOCIAL CONNECTIONS:
Members reported the importance of feeling part of something, with social elements such as making new friends and having something in common contributing.
Encouraging members to take ownership of their social opportunities from the offset can lead to stronger internal bonds between members, without added work from the leader(s).
SHARED GOALS:
Having a shared goal can unite a choir, and the process of working together through the journey of preparations nurtures effective teamwork and collaboration.
Building wellbeing into singing sessions
Here are some specific ways choir leaders can enhance the impact of wellbeing in choral settings:
Guiding members through safe, accessible and relaxing group warm-up activities that enhance their personal and social experience of the remainder of the rehearsal. Examples include mindfulness, gentle movement and breathing techniques
Offering non-personal feedback to singers - avoiding blame or unnecessarily negative or individual feedback, focusing on using positive language and focus on suggested improvements instead of the faults and problems
Using straight-forward actionable and constructive feedback and encouraging members to provide this to each other too
Noticing and celebrating progress and effort
Using positive language choices such as ‘try to relax your body’ rather than ‘don’t tense your body’
Modelling taking and giving feedback in an open, gracious manner
Owning mistakes made in teaching and showing this is OK - for example, instead of getting frustrated with oneself for playing a wrong note, calmly stating the facts with a smile before continuing
Acknowledging challenges for both the group and the leader, naming frustrations and setting out clear and positive intentions and road maps for how to counter these
Praising hard work above talent or natural excellence, as per a growth mindset
Giving varied opportunities for those who don’t normally present themselves to come forward or be noticed positively
Setting up performance nerves and anxiety as positive challenges rather than threats
Facilitating small group activities which encourage teamwork, participation and leadership
Treating each week as a new session, letting go of any frustrations or challenges from previous sessions
Of course all singers are individuals and will go through their own process, with external factors influencing each member’s mood, mindset and focus, so leaders should be alert to small changes and sensitive to the changing needs of their group. Asking for feedback on how learning is coming along, or where the emphasis needs to be is key to making sure rehearsals stay relevant and focussed.
