Why We Need to Sing

“The opposite of depression is not joy, it’s expression,” or so the quote from Edith Eger goes. A psychologist and survivor of the holocaust, Dr. Eger emphasized that suppressing emotions can lead a person to depression. The remedy is to find expression, whether that be physically, verbally, emotionally or artistically.

“The opposite of depression is not happiness, but vitality,” often attributed to writer and lecturer Andrew Solomon, suggests that feeling alive, being active, and connecting to our humanity might prove to be better goals than searching for happiness.

When a person find their singing voice, in a choir or band, a singing circle or karaoke night, or even in a garden or home kitchen, this expression and vitality is found. The awareness of deep breathing and posture, and the sense of creating and feeling vibrations in our body, are physical benefits of learning how to sing. Lyrics in a song, poetic, metaphoric, repetitious, or full of imagery, create verbal expressions that work to bring people together. When a singer combines the physical and the verbal, emotions are easier to connect to, maybe even understand. The artistry comes when a singer allows those emotions to be released.

One of my favorite things to tell new students: If you can ugly cry, you can sing. I could say the same for many other emotional outbursts: If you can shout passionately or excitedly at someone, you can sing; If you can laugh loudly and intensely, you can sing. The goal should never be perfection, but emotional release. And if that part can feel good, guiding the voice to also sound good, is perfectly attainable.