Singing and Health: A systematic mapping and review of non-clinical research (2008)
The centre has undertaken a systematic mapping and review of non-clinical research on singing, wellbeing and health. A total of 35 papers were included in the review with studies grouped as follows: qualitative studies; studies using specifically designed questionnaires, quantitative studies using previously validated scales; studies making objective measures of physiological changes associated with singing (e.g. hormonal changes); studies employing well established measures of 'mental and physical health'; research assessing physical performance (i.e. hearing and lung function) of singers, and finally, large scale epidemiological studies in which choral singing was included as a potential determinant of health.
Choral Singing, Wellbeing and Health: A cross-national survey (2008)
The Centre has completed a large-scale cross national study involving choirs in England, Germany and Australia. Data was gathered from over 1,000 choral singers, on their personal experiences of choral singing and the effects they believe it has on their quality of life, wellbeing and health. The study also made use of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire to provide validated measures of physical, psychological, social and environmental wellbeing.
The Silver Singers, Sage, Gateshead. One of the choirs participating in the Centre’s international survey on the effects of choral singing.
Clift, S., et al. Choral Singing and psychological wellbeing: Findings from English choirs in a cross-national survey using the WHOQOL-BREF. Aaron Williamon and Daniela Coimbra (eds.), Proceedings of the International Symposium on Performance Science 2007, European Association of Conservatoires (AEC), ISBN 978-90-9022484-8.
Formative Evaluation of the Silver Song Club Project (2008)
A formative evaluation has been undertaken with six Silver Song Clubs in Kent. This has involved interviews and focus group discussions with facilitators, volunteer supporters, care staff, informal carers and elderly participants.
The MusicStart Project (2006)
Following on from the success of SoundStart, Healing Arts planned a more ambitious project aimed at promoting music and singing for 0-5 year-olds in families and Early Years settings across the whole of the Isle of Wight. An innovative feature of the project was the development of a MusicStart Pack, following the model of the BookStart initiative, for families with children upto 2-years. The Pack consisted of a specially recorded CD, a Song Booklet, Activities Cards, two musical instruments and two felt finger puppets. Over 2,400 Packs were distributed across the Isle of Wight. In addition, ten training courses were run for Early Years practitioners and teachers to help them raise the profile of music in the Early Years Curriculum. As with the earlier project, feedback from participants in MusicStart was overwhelmingly positive.
Members of the MusicStart Project team
Evaluation of the ‘Singing for the Brain’ Training Course (2006)
‘Singing for the Brain’ is an innovative project estabished by East Berkshire Alzheimer’s Society which offers people with Alzheimer’s and their family carers the opportunity to meet on a weekly basis to make music and sing together.
The Centre was commissioned to undertake an evaluation of a course designed to train musicians who wished to set up ‘Singing for the Brain’ groups across Berkshire.
Interim Evaluation of ‘Music into Upton’ (2006)
‘Music into Upton’ is a small scale project designed by Art Beyond Belief and funded by Arts Council England South East. It has brought live music into elderly ward settings in Upton Hospital in Slough and produced a DVD of this project as a form of documenting and evaluating the impact of live music.
The Centre was also commissioned to provide an external assessment of the project and is impact.
Evaluation of the Southampton Silver Song Club (2006)
Southampton Silver Song Club is run by students from Southampton University and is funded by Southampton Primary Care Trust. A short evaluation has been carried out of the work of this club in order to report to the funders on the impact of the project.
Southampton University music students leading a Song Club session
Arts and Healthy Communities in the South East (2003)
This report, commissioned by Arts Council England South East provides an overview of Arts and Health projects across the whole of the South East Region in England. The report argues that three key challenges face researchers in Arts and Health:
- Firstly, to make meaningful conceptual links between creative arts and human health
- Secondly, to develop satisfactory theoretical frameworks in order to understand the possible mechanisms through which the arts may benefit health, and
- Thirdly, to gather convincing empirical evidence to support claims for health benefits associated with participation in the arts.
Evaluation of the ‘SoundStart’ Project, Isle of Wight (2002)
The SoundStart Project set up music and singing with pregnant mothers, groups in selected venues on the Isle of Wight, to encourage them to use music and singing in communicating with their unborn babies. It then continued with postnatal music and singing groups over the first year of life. Evaluation highlighted many of the benefits mothers felt they and their infants gained from participation in the project.
Perceived Benefits of Singing (2001)
This study explored the perceived benefits associated with choral singing. Participants were members of the University’s choral society. A majority of respondents felt they gained social and emotional benefits from being a member of the choir, and just over half felt some benefit for their physical health. Personal testimonies and answers to a structured questionnaire demonstrated that benefits for ‘well-being and relaxation’ were widely felt among members of the choir.
Clift, S., and Hancox, G. The perceived benefits of singing: findings from preliminary surveys of a university college choral society. The Journal for the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health; December 2001, 121 (4), pp. 248-256