Singing for Wellbeing: The Public Health Impact of Choral Music
When you step into rehearsal for a chorus, you might think the goal is beautiful music. But behind the harmonies and the performances lie deeper benefits, ones that reach into physical health, emotional wellbeing, social connectedness, and even broader community health outcomes.
The Health Benefits of Singing Together
Recent research increasingly shows that singing in a group, such as a chorus, promotes multiple dimensions of health. For example:
A study out of the University College London found that adults in community choirs reported improved mood and wellbeing, likely in part because singing triggers release of endorphins, dopamine and serotonin, neurochemicals linked to feeling good.
Another review noted that choir participation among older adults was associated with better general health, reduced loneliness, increased social integration and even improved verbal fluency.
Physiological benefits have also been identified: singing can reduce stress hormones (like cortisol), boost immune proteins (such as immunoglobulin A) and improve respiratory and cardiovascular function.
Social Determinants of Health: How Chorus Singing Plays a Role
We know that health isn’t only about biology. The World Health Organization defines social determinants of health as the “conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age” including social inclusion, community engagement, education, and access to supportive networks. Chorus singing influences several of these.
1. Social Connection & Belonging
Regular rehearsal and performance place singers in a setting of shared purpose and mutual support. A stronger social network has been shown to have health benefits comparable to well-recognized behavioral factors. The U.K. research notes that the “rapid social-bonding” effect of choirs may confer unique advantages.
For organizations like ours that emphasize inclusion, especially for LGBTQ+ communities and allies, this sense of belonging becomes even more crucial. Health and wellbeing are tied to acceptance, affirmation, and safe community.
2. Emotional & Psychological Wellbeing
Being part of a chorus helps participants express themselves, build confidence, and experience collective achievement. These elements contribute to resilience, self-efficacy and positive identity.
3. Lifelong Learning & Skill Building
Chorus participation involves memorizing music, coordinating rhythm and pitch and working toward performance goals. Studies show this cognitive engagement helps maintain brain function, especially in aging adults.
In turn, this supports community health by promoting lifelong activity, cognitive resilience and reducing the burden of social isolation or inactivity.
4. Cultural Inclusion and Equity
When a chorus intentionally welcomes and affirms diverse identities, it strengthens equitable access to the arts and to health-promoting activity. This matters because populations facing marginalization often experience greater health inequities. By creating a chorus space that is inclusive, the health-benefit sphere expands.
Additionally, as the research shows, the act of singing together can synchronize physiological responses (heart-rates, brain waves) and support social cohesion.
A Call to View Music as Public Health
In a world of growing isolation, increasing mental-health burdens and rising chronic disease, chorus singing offers a low-cost, high-impact intervention. It addresses not only the individual, breathing deeper, feeling connected, singing louder, but the collective: culture, community, compassion.
At the Indianapolis Men’s Chorus, we believe every voice matters. Each rehearsal is not just practice for the concert stage, it’s part of building a healthier, more inclusive community. When we sing, we don’t just make music, we make health.