Everyone in the York Region Community Choir knows intuitively that singing in the choir is good for us.
We know this, feel it, experience it, and, more and more, published research is supporting it with data. One example of a study is the PROTECT Study in the UK which has been collecting data since 2015, aiming to understand how healthy brains age and why people develop dementia. Researchers are analyzing the data and discovering that playing an instrument or singing in a choir can help us age better.
A new study has found a connection between brain health in old age and playing a musical instrument. Significant associations were also found between singing and executive function, and between overall musical ability and working memory. The research, published recently (January 2024) in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, concluded that education and engagement in musical activities throughout life are a valuable "means of harnessing cognitive reserve as part of a protective lifestyle for brain health." I'm always saying that we're having fun while protecting ourselves from cognitive decline, warding off dementia.
This recent study was the subject of a couple of articles that you can read. One is here, on Fox Media. They know that we know. "There’s nothing like a nostalgic song to transport you back to a special time and place -and now a new study has shown that music could help protect those memories for a lifetime." Catchy statement. Doctors involved in the study stated that engaging in music can help maintain and even improve cognitive functions, serving as a protective measure against cognitive decline. Yes. I'm positive that's what is happening with us and our audiences.
Another article that shared the results of that study, here on Forbes, states that cognitive reserve, the agility and resilience of the brain, is "harnessed" by musical activity. We're making sure our brains stay agile and reslient. I feel that. They had this wonderful quote from a musician:
“I learnt to play the accordion as a boy living in a mining village in Fife [in Scotland] and carried on throughout my career in the police force and beyond,” 78-year old accordion player Stuart Douglas told the University of Exeter. Currently, Douglas still performs with an accordion band. “We regularly play at memory cafes so have seen the effect that our music has on people with memory loss,” he says. “As older musicians ourselves we have no doubt that continuing with music into older age has played an important role in keeping our brains healthy.” (my italics and bolding )
Once a week, at our choir rehearsals, we feel great for a couple hours, and it often sets the tone for the rest of the week. We're out of the house among other people, moving our bodies, stretching our minds, benefitting from and contributing to something positive and beautiful. Our concerts twice a year are the cumulation of hours and hours of preparation, the consummation of our work together. And, they're an opportunity to share this musical side of our life with friends and family. Then, we go out to care homes and retirement homes to share our music and to sing along with our audiences there. We have no doubt that we're doing a very good thing.
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| Performing after months of preparation, study, and teamwork.YRCC 2023 |
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