Benefits of Singing Along

Why do I welcome and encourage singing along? 

“Oh, you don’t want to hear that.” “I don’t sing very well anymore.” “I’d ruin the song.”   

These are the most common responses I hear when I encourage patients or family members to sing along if they know the song. Some tell me that they’ll leave it to the professional. While it’s true that I am a trained musician, some of the most beautiful music I’ve heard has come from patients and their family members. As a music therapist, I know that the benefits of singing are for everyone whether you’re a trained musician or not. Here are my top reasons for encouraging others to sing with me: 

1. Singing is a form of exercise for your lungs. The rhythmic breathing that occurs when you sing can release the same type of endorphins as working out, which leads to improved mood and reduced anxiety. This may not seem like much, but when an older adult’s mobility is decreased finding ways to “move” can become challenging. Singing is a simple movement that almost everyone can do. I once had a hospice patient who told me many times that when she and her sister would fight as kids, she never wanted to stay mad or angry, so she would just sing because that made her happy.  

2. Singing can help improve speech. Because music occurs in many parts of the brain, patients that have difficulty producing speech are often able to sing every word to a song. This can improve a person’s ability to articulate and produce speech in regular conversation. Many stroke survivors experience aphasia, which is knowing what you want to say but not being able to find the words to say it. By singing familiar songs, these individuals can draw on the other parts of the brain and create new neural pathways to improve their speech. 

3. When a loved one or family member is singing to a patient, it creates a beautiful memory for both. A lot of my work is in hospice care. Often during this time, the family is trying to cope with learning about end-of-life care, new diagnoses, and round the clock caregiving. This creates a lot of stress, anxiety, and a multitude of other normal emotions. When a family can have a break from all that through music, these positive experiences can be really cathartic and comforting for everyone involved.  

So if a music therapist ever encourages you to sing along with them, take a second and think about what benefits you can get from it. And then join in singing! 

By Emma Vogel, MT-BC