Choir Participation Research Articles

Exploratory Study on the Impact on Emotional Health Derived from Participation in an Inclusive Choir.

Participation in group activities such as choirs has been shown to have positive effects on emotional health and overall well-being. Inclusive choirs, which integrate individuals of various abilities and diverse backgrounds, provide a unique space for social interaction, emotional expression, and inclusion. This study aims to explore the impact of participation in an inclusive choir on the emotional health of its members, identifying both positive and negative emotional impacts as well as personal experiences derived from their participation. This longitudinal exploratory study combines participant observation, field notes, focus groups, and questionnaires to gain a deep understanding of the participant's emotional experiences through their narratives. The study was conducted in an inclusive choir located in a medium-sized city in Spain, which brings together people of various ages, genders, abilities, and cultural backgrounds. The results indicated that most participants experienced significant improvements in their emotional well-being, including increased self-esteem, a greater sense of belonging, and reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression. Participants also reported that the choir provided a safe space for emotional expression and the building of meaningful relationships. Participation in an inclusive choir can have a considerable positive impact on the emotional health of its members.

A community created through group singing: Examining the health benefits of engaging in a hospital community choir

Participating in group singing can positively impact one’s physical, social, and emotional health. Limited research exists regarding the potential health benefits of hospital community choirs as social prescription, and even less on choirs comprised of various members of the hospital community [i.e., mixed staff, clients, and local community choirs]. This study explored whether a hospital community choir supports four domains of choir participants' health [physical, social, emotional, and spiritual] and investigated the possible impact of this experience on participants' perspectives of hospitals. A 10-week choir programme was facilitated by a music therapist. Employing a concurrent transformative design, surveys were distributed to the choir members and five semi-structured interviews were undertaken. Survey responses were statistically insignificant but indicated benefits across all four health domains. Interviews revealed four key themes: healing; positive experiences; social connectedness; and feeling supported. In merging these results, it was concluded that a hospital community choir can be a valuable intervention for improving multiple aspects of health in the hospital community but future larger studies are needed. This study confirms previous evidence of the potential health benefits of group singing and provides insights into the role of community choirs as social prescription in promoting health and well-being.

Remini-Sing RCT: Therapeutic Choir Participation for Community-Dwelling People with Dementia and Their Primary Caregivers.

Dementia negatively affects the wellbeing of both caregivers and care recipients. Community-based therapeutic choir singing offers opportunities for music participation and social engagement that are accessible and mutually enjoyable for people with dementia and their family caregivers and promotes shared and meaningful musical interactions, which may support relationship quality. This study aimed to investigate the impact of the Remini-Sing therapeutic choir intervention on relationship quality, quality of life, depression, and social connectedness for dyads, as well as caregiver burden and care recipient anxiety. A randomized-controlled trial design was used with a target sample of 180 dyads. Due to recruitment difficulties, 34 participant dyads were recruited and randomly assigned to a 20-week group singing condition (n = 16) or a waitlisted control group (n = 18). Participant dyads consisted of people with dementia and their family caregivers who resided at home in the community. The Remini-Sing therapeutic choirs were held in community settings. Assessments were conducted by masked assessors at baseline, 11 weeks, and 21 weeks. Twenty-one dyads completed assessments at the primary timepoint (Week 11). Issues with recruitment and retention resulted in an unpowered study with no statistically significant findings. Mean decreases in anxiety and depression for choir participants with dementia were supported by medium to large effect sizes, indicating a potential intervention effect to be explored in future powered studies. Key learnings related to study design are discussed regarding recruitment, retention, participant burden, and sustainability, with recommendations made for future dementia research.

How Australian singers experienced disruption to choir participation caused by pandemic lockdowns: A thematic analysis

Benefits of group singing participation have been well established and group singing through social prescription has attracted recent research attention. This study offers a unique participant perspective on the benefits of regular singing group engagement by exploring what happened when access was lost through COVID-19 lockdowns. Sixty adult singers, including five facilitators, who ceased singing during lockdown submitted responses to an online qualitative survey. The respondents had all participated regularly in group singing for at least 5 years. Multi-faceted experiences of loss associated with mood, emotional regulation, access to shared joy and social connection were described by participants. Dissatisfaction with online singing alternatives and challenges of navigating a face-to-face return to group singing were emphasized. The research also describes the specific experience of singing group facilitators who described feelings of anguish related to not being able to resource their groups with singing and negative impacts on their personal and professional identities. In exploring what is lost to facilitators and group members due to pandemic intervention, this study highlights the value and experience of group singing involvement outside of the COVID-19 context.

Singing Language – Integrating Second Language Learning into Choir Practice

Language and music are closely tied in singing. It has even been argued that without language there is no song. However, can music and language learning through singing also be seen as being closely tied without first highlighting the boundaries between these disciplines? This study emphasizes a nonhierarchical approach to music and language learning by intertwining musical and linguistic activities in a choir context. The study explores the extent to which singing in a language-responsive choir can encourage productive second language use and enhance the sound hearing, phonological processing, pronunciation, and spoken language skills of adult choir participants with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The research material consists of individual pre-, middle-, and post-interviews and Phonology pre- and post-tests that were conducted with volunteer choir participants during 2019–2020. The analysis encompasses both thematic and statistical approaches. The findings are reflected through a hybrid choir practice that draws on a three-way dialogue between choir participants, the choir conductor, and the second language teacher. The results suggest that active and holistic second language use in a language-aware choir context decreases phonological challenges in second language auditory processing and verbal production, including spoken language. The findings of the interviews and the Phonology tests were in line with each other.

Teleconference group singing programs for well‐being of healthy older adults and persons with neurocognitive disorders during the COVID‐19 pandemic

AbstractBackgroundDuring the COVID‐19 pandemic, older adults experienced a marked decline in well‐being, attributed largely to social isolation (Tilburg et al, 2021; Krendl et al, 2021). Previous literature shows that participatory musical interventions, like group singing, improve well‐being and provide social and emotional support (Pentikäinen et al, 2021; Johnson et al, 2020). However, the pandemic highlighted the need for research on how such programs may be administered in an online setting. The enforced shutdown of in‐person choirs in 2021 provided an opportunity for such assessment.MethodTwo types of group choir programs were conducted via teleconferencing. One program engaged participants in sing‐along to familiar music only, offered weekly (52 in 2021). The other involved structured rehearsals (14 sessions) where participants learned choir music, culminating in a recorded "virtual concert”. Program participants were 55 and older, divided into persons with neurocognitive disorders (NcD) and cognitively healthy individuals (CH). Self‐report assessments of the programs were solicited. Four Likert scale questions covered anxiety, social connections, physical well‐being, and “other” areas of well‐being. Two free response questions requested elaboration on other well‐being improvement.ResultResults of Likert scales indicated at least moderate improvements in all measured aspects of well‐being. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive (>95%). Free response analysis revealed 7 themes, the most prominent being emotional, social, and intellectual well‐being. 87% of respondents mentioned positive effects on well‐being. Intellectual well‐being was mentioned with significant frequency by choir participants versus sing‐along (p = 0.02). While the NcD choir group was small, hampering statistical power, clear trends were present; 40% of participants in the NcD choir highlighted social well‐being (25‐29% in other groups), and 20% discussed improvements to physical well‐being (0‐6% in other groups).ConclusionOnline group music programs administered during the COVID‐19 pandemic showed improvements in overall measures of well‐being, with different programs and participants highlighting specific aspects. These results establish feasibility for such programs as a method for providing meaningful improvement to well‐being in older adults, providing stability and connection amidst a time of disruption and isolation.

Studying the Effects of Choir Participation on Pupils of a Greek Secondary School

The present work aims to further clarify the positive effect of vocal music on individuals, i.e, to identify certain fields in which there is an obvious improvement on mental health and overall well-being, before and after having experienced choral singing. In particular, there is examined the gain of self-esteem, as well as its social aspect in adolescents, who participate in a choir. Thus, this research may contribute to the current knowledge of the degree to which the performing art of choral singing may enhance self-esteem, overall wellbeing and sociability. Making the connections between singing and wellbeing can effectively promote better mental health and inclusivity, as it will encourage pupils to evolve into their better selves. The outcome of the present research may also help the target-school, since an effective collaboration between school, family and community (through several planned choir performances) is an important factor in the development of adolescents.

Phase I trial of the MuSic to CONnect (MuSiCON) protocol: feasibility and effect of choir participation for individuals with cognitive impairment

Phase I trial of the MuSic to CONnect (MuSiCON) protocol: feasibility and effect of choir participation for individuals with cognitive impairment

Novel opportunities for intercultural music education: Integrating singing and a language-aware approach in Learn-Finnish-by-Singing choirs

The topic of language awareness in intercultural music education has received surprisingly little attention in discussions on meaningful and responsive musical practices, despite language being an ubiquitous issue that every music educator encounters when entering a multilingual learning environment. This study explores a language-aware perspective that is embedded in a dynamic and dialogical choir practice drawing on the direct social needs of adult choir participants with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The analysis sets the practitioner experiences, planning, and implementation of the choir practice against the theorisation of activity systems and the concepts of boundary object and boundary crossing, in particular. The theoretical exploration considers how a dual meaning choir practice (a) integrates musical and linguistic activity, (b) crosses boundaries between the disciplines of music and language education, and (c) justifies change in music educational thinking. The study suggests that a dual meaning choir practice provides meaningful musical activity for adult immigrants, expanding the understanding of musical practice and the profession of music educator by blurring the dichotomous thinking of music and music education as being either instrumentalized or existing only for purely musical purposes. The study further advocates that a hybrid musical practice can widen professional understanding with novel insights, out-of-the-box perspectives, and new opportunities.

Lifting spirits and building community: the social, emotional and practical benefits of all-female group singing

A mixed-methods concurrent identical design was implemented to explore the following research question: what are the emotional, social, and practical impacts of group singing for women from a regeneration area? Members of an all-female community choir based in an area of disadvantage participated in a focus group and survey. The most significant quantitative finding was an increase in the overall perceived level of health, which seemed linked to qualitative themes of 'positive emotions', 'redefining and reclaiming identity', 'choir as an extended family' and 'community interaction and impact'. Three themes arose from qualitative data: social impact, health and well-being aspects, and practical issues. Integrating qualitative and quantitative findings identified an overarching concept that 'choir participation may increase emotional and social health and well-being'. Group singing was found beneficial, with a potential to serve as a resource in cultivating resilience in individuals living in areas of disadvantage.

Help is on its Way: Exploring the Mental Health and Wellbeing Outcomes of a Massed Community Choir Program

ABSTRACT Background This paper explores the mental health and wellbeing outcomes of a massed community choir program in Australia. Methods This study employed a mixed methods approach. Data were collected via a survey of choir participants (N = 305), four qualitative interviews and focus groups with facilitators and participants (N = 22), and two workshops with organising staff (N = 5). Questions were derived from a co-designed program logic, and data were triangulated and analysed thematically. Results Participants reported feeling a sense of connectedness (psychological), but also experiencing connection (social) with their fellow singers. Psychological outcomes included the sensations of affect, arousal, and affirmation. Social outcomes included experiencing belonging, inclusion, and sharing. These positive psycho-social experiences promoted positive mental health and wellbeing outcomes in the large group of participating singers. Conclusions This paper addresses gaps in our understanding about the mental health and wellbeing outcomes fostered by community choirs at scale.

Quality of Life for People who Sing

Background: A growing ageing population in New Zealand and worldwide poses a number of challenges, including the predicted strain on public health services due to a consequential increase in neurological conditions, which tend to occur later in life. Diagnosis with a neurological condition is associated with negative psychosocial and quality of life (QOL) outcomes, which medical interventions do not address. There is growing interest in the role of music and singing in improving some of these negative outcomes that provides a rationale for the present research.
 Methods: This mixed methods research explores the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of 90 choir singers who sing in neurological choirs (social singing groups offering choral singing therapy) and community choirs in New Zealand. HRQOL data were obtained using the NZ WHOQOL-BREF and choir involvement perspectives were obtained using a choir participation questionnaire (CPQ). Non-parametric statistical tests were used to explore the NZ WHOQOL-BREF and visual analogue scale (VAS) responses in the CPQ. Qualitative measures were used to explore open-ended responses in the CPQ.
 Results: HRQOL was similar across participants on the psychological, social relationships, and environmental domains, and lower for neurological choir members on the physical domain. Choir involvement perspectives showed that choir members perceived several positive benefits associated with choral singing that were often identified under the psychological, social relationships, and environmental domains.

A COVID-19 superspreading event involving two variants during sociotherapy activities in a French mental health centre

Background/PurposeInvestigation of a COVID-19 super-spreading event involving both beta and delta variants of SARS-CoV-2, following a choir in a mental health centre.MethodsAn epidemiological and biological (RT-PCR, mutations screening and sequencing) investigation was carried out to identify the chains of transmission. A morbidity and mortality review was performed using ALARM root causes analysis to understand how this superspreading event could have taken place.ResultsOn May 25 and 26, 2021, all 13 choir participants were screened. Of these, eight were positive. None of them was vaccinated. Biological results suggested seven cases of delta variants (three confirmed by sequencing) and one case of beta variant. The screening of 141 contact individuals identified 21 subsequent cases with a suspected delta variant and two cases of suspected beta variant. Since the two index cases had similar Ct during the choir, this suggests different spreading abilities. The contributing factors were multiple, including underestimation of infectious risks by the social therapy team in relation to low individual and collective perceived vulnerabilityConclusionHCPs involved in sociotherapy must be aware of, and trained to mitigate, the risk of superspreading event. Conventional distancing and good natural ventilation appear to not be enough to prevent spread of more transmissible variants of SARS-CoV-2.

Enduring impacts of cathedral choral training on choristers’ lives

ABSTRACT Investigations of the English Cathedral Choral tradition have ranged from studies of the pedagogical practices and environmental affordances and constraints that support choral excellence to the introduction of female voices into a male-dominated musical practice. Studies of choral participation have investigated the health and wellbeing outcomes of choral participation across the lifespan, and the psychological benefits and life skills of teamwork and leadership that develop in choral settings. These studies have focused on perceptions of current participation. Less is known of the enduring impacts of early choral participation across the lifespan. This study investigates two former cathedral choristers’ experience through extended interview and narrative case studies. Both choristers reported participation in the cathedral choir as significant and life-changing, continuing to impact them many years later. Chorister habits of thought and practice including attention to detail, care of others, assuming leadership, and self-discipline were reported to endure in life beyond the choir. Being thrust into the midst of a politically charged policy change introducing female cathedral choristers created life-forming experiences for girls, in what was retrospectively described as a first act of feminism. This research provides insights into the ways in which extra-curricular ensembles and vocal tuition shape possible musical selves.

Socio-emotional Benefits Associated with Choir Participation for Older Adults Related to Both Activity Characteristics and Motivation Factors

Community choirs can contribute to health and wellbeing, but there is less clarity about the mechanisms through which choir participation promotes positive change, or whether mechanisms are shared with other leisure activities. This research explores two possible types of mechanism: Mechanisms relating to individual characteristics pertaining to mindset and motivation, including experiences of flow, competence, autonomy, and relatedness (Study 1); and mechanisms relating to the activity experience, which include music, movement, and social opportunities (Study 2). In Study 1, middle and older aged members of choirs, exercise groups and other kinds of social groups (N = 190) completed surveys on their experience of emotional wellbeing (operationalized as positive and negative affect scores), mental wellbeing, and social cohesion (outcomes) pertaining to their group activity as well as experiences of motivation, flow, and the components of Self-Determination Theory (potential mediators). Multiple regression analyses revealed that participation in Choir or Exercise groups predicted positive emotional wellbeing, but not social cohesion. Underlying mechanisms differed, with positive affect mediated by intrinsic motivation for choir members, and by intrinsic motivation, identified regulation, and flow for Exercise group members. Mental wellbeing was correlated only with exercise group participation and was mediated by flow. Study 2 used an experience sampling methodology conducted with a sub-group from Study 1 (N = 59), which asked daily questions about wellbeing (happiness, sense of social connection, and energy levels) and participation in activities (music engagement, exercise, and social activities) experienced in their everyday lives and not directly associated with any leisure group participation. Repeated-measures t-tests revealed that participants were more likely to report higher levels of social connection on days in which they participated in music activities than on days in which they did not engage in music activities. Engaging in exercise or social activities was also associated with a greater sense of social connection, as well as higher levels of happiness and energy. In sum, the activity characteristics and individual differences of motivation and mindset towards participation correlated with greater wellbeing, reflecting an ecological model of person-activity fit, with no indication of superior benefits associated with group singing. Findings are discussed in terms of social prescribing and other settings where social opportunities are organized.

Effects of Online Choir or Mindfulness Interventions on Auditory Perception and Well-Being in Middle- and Older-Aged Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Previous work suggests that both choir and mindfulness training may improve well-being and auditory skills in older adults. This randomized control trial investigated the effects of a 10-week online choir or mindfulness program on speech-in-noise (SIN) perception. We collected multiple measures of auditory perception and attention, and multiple measures of socioemotional well-being in adults (N = 61) aged 50–65. We observed that both interventions improved SIN perception in high-noise conditions, decreased anxiety, and increased global well-being, mindfulness, and self-transcendence. Choir participants, compared to their own performance, showed improvements in additional noise conditions of the SIN task relative to mindfulness participants. Choir training produced greater advantages than mindfulness training in reducing state anxiety and improving melodic interval discrimination. These findings provide preliminary evidence for improvements in selected well-being and auditory measures as a result of online singing and mindfulness interventions in middle-aged and older adults in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Voices in Motion: How Social Singing Can Facilitate Psychological Health for Persons With Dementia and Caregivers

Dementia is a global public health priority that exerts significant impact on individuals, families, healthcare systems, and society. Worldwide, over 35 million individuals are estimated to have some subtype of dementia – a projection expected to triple by 2050. Despite progress, a cure for dementia remains elusive, and approved pharmacotherapies are selectively effective for but a limited duration. Increasingly, arts-based interventions for persons with dementia (PwD) and their caregivers are being recognized as inexpensive, non-invasive, and non-pharmacological lifestyle interventions with the potential to improve psychological function as well as reduce healthcare costs. This symposium overviews the Voices in Motion (ViM) study – a sociocognitive intervention exploring the impact of participation in an intergenerational choir on psychological, social, and cognitive function for PwD and their caregivers (n=32 dyads). PwD, caregivers, and local high school students sang in a professionally-conducted choir for as many as three seasons (each ~12 weeks long), spanning up to 18 months of follow-up. Employing an intensive repeated measures design, psychosocial, physiological, and cognitive function was measured every four to six weeks (up to 9 total assessments). The symposium papers provide a representative overview of the broad impact that this novel, non-pharmacological lifestyle intervention can offer vis-à-vis mitigating dementia symptoms and facilitating the psychological health of caregivers. Choir participation has important and significant impacts on psychosocial well-being and quality of life. Discussion focuses on policy implications and the need for community-based programs that reflect a social model for dementia and support living well through engaging and meaningful activities.

The Emergence and Benefits of Social Relationships in Two Community-Based Dementia Choirs

Community choir participation for persons with dementia (PwD) confers benefits to health and well-being, including the benefit of socializing which can reduce feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Using the concept of social capital, this study examines the degree to which two intergenerational Voices in Motion choirs facilitate the development of social relationships between PwD, caregivers, and high school students. Data collection involved interviews with 17 dyads of PwD and caregivers, completion of a social relationship questionnaire, and focus groups with a total of 29 high school students. The results show a gradual increase in the level of interactions between all participants, with students in particular interacting more frequently with PwD. Over time, trust and reciprocity emerged within the choirs as more people shared information about themselves. Students’ understanding of dementia changed over time as they learned to appreciate PwD as unique human beings with rich life stories and experiences.

Choir Singing Practice and Temporal Ordering in the Elderly.

Introduction The importance of temporal ordering and sequencing in the auditory system is discussed because these are considered basic functions for language. Objective To verify the correlation between the practice of choir music and the temporal ordering in elderly with no prior formal musical experience. Method The study design is cross-sectional. The sample consisted of 85 elderly individuals of both genders, ≥ 60 years old, and it was composed of 43 elderly individuals with no prior formal musical experience but choir participation (research group) and 42 elderly individuals who never sang in a choir and had no music training during their life (control group). The research group was divided based on three categories of choir time. The performances of the research and control groups were compared with pitch pattern sequence (PPS), verbal condition (PPSverb), humming condition (PPShum), and duration pattern sequence (DPS) tests. Results The mean PPShum and PPSverb showed a statistically significant difference by choir time with a different mean of PPShum between the no singing experience group (59%) and the > 10 years of singing experience group (90%) ( p = 0.02). Regarding the averages of PPSverb, there was a statistically significant difference between the no singing experience (23%) and > 10 years of choir time (54%) ( p = 0.02) groups. Conclusion The findings indicate a better performance in the temporal ordering of the elderly who are not formal musicians but who have choir experience in the research group in relation to those with no choir experience in the control group.

Neurophysiological improvements in speech-in-noise task after short-term choir training in older adults.

Perceiving speech in noise (SIN) is important for health and well-being and decreases with age. Musicians show improved speech-in-noise abilities and reduced age-related auditory decline, yet it is unclear whether short term music engagement has similar effects. In this randomized control trial we used a pre-post design to investigate whether a 12-week music intervention in adults aged 50-65 without prior music training and with subjective hearing loss improves well-being, speech-in-noise abilities, and auditory encoding and voluntary attention as indexed by auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) in a syllable-in-noise task, and later AEPs in an oddball task. Age and gender-matched adults were randomized to a choir or control group. Choir participants sang in a 2-hr ensemble with 1-hr home vocal training weekly; controls listened to a 3-hr playlist weekly, attended concerts, and socialized online with fellow participants. From pre- to post-intervention, no differences between groups were observed on quantitative measures of well-being or behavioral speech-in-noise abilities. In the choir group, but not the control group, changes in the N1 component were observed for the syllable-in-noise task, with increased N1 amplitude in the passive condition and decreased N1 latency in the active condition. During the oddball task, larger N1 amplitudes to the frequent standard stimuli were also observed in the choir but not control group from pre to post intervention. Findings have implications for the potential role of music training to improve sound encoding in individuals who are in the vulnerable age range and at risk of auditory decline.