Singing for Health online discussion network
Since making the shift to online working in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting social distancing guidelines put in place, Youth Music wanted to offer an opportunity for grantholders working across the country to connect with each other and discuss topics that are important to them. We wanted to create a space for grantholders to express their concerns, but also to share positive news and ideas that they have tried out in their own organisations, discussing a range of topics and areas of practice.
There was plenty to discuss on the topic of singing for health, and the following is a summary of the discussion network meeting that took place on Tuesday 28 April 2020. It includes some of the challenges that organisations have been facing, as well as some of the successes they’ve enjoyed during this time and the helpful resources they have used or produced.
This of course is just a flavour of some of the topics discussed in Youth Music’s online networks, and you can see the Youth Music Network for summaries of other discussion groups.
If you have any particular concerns about your Youth Music grant not covered here (related to wellbeing or anything else), please do contact your Grants & Learning Officer or see our list of Coronavirus related FAQs here.
Challenges
We discussed some of the common challenges surrounding singing work with young people, and particularly how to do this remotely as a way of adapting to the current government guidelines around social distancing. The group was made up of practitioners with varying levels of experience in moving their singing work online, and each member of the network was facing their own set of difficulties with this, but we were able to draw some common themes out.
As many might gather, a common issue experienced by many was the technological aspect of moving music tuition or delivery online. Several members of the group had managed to find ways to make remote/online teaching work for them, but some were experiencing difficulties relating to internet speed, latency and general sound quality. This of course is not an issue that’s exclusive to singing, and many grantholders/practitioners have reported similar issues in wider discussions about the challenges that come with switching to remote teaching.
Another difficulty more specific to singing that was commonly mentioned in this discussion was the issue of young people having the space and time set aside to dedicate to singing – whether this is practice or a virtual session with a practitioner. One discussion participant explained how the majority of the young people her organisation works with are living at home, with parents, siblings and other family members around the house, and that having the private space to sing without feeling self-conscious was a rarity for most participants. She noted that this was somewhat different to instrumental work where young people had fewer worries, possibly due to the fact that singing can, in many ways, be more exposing or personal to young musicians.
In a similar way, another participant mentioned how some young people she works with are generally reluctant to try virtual music sessions, for fear that it could be embarrassing or awkward to take part in music online, or to be seen doing so on-screen by their peers. This participant found that the older age groups her organisation worked with were more willing to take risks and try out new things, but she was looking for ways to remove the discomfort associated with this new form of communication for those more hesitant young musicians who, she worried, were currently missing out on the virtual music sessions.
The final challenge discussed on this topic was the issue of interactivity. Several members of the group shared their experiences of approaches that were working well in their one-to-one singing work with young people, but it was agreed that organising any sort of group singing activity online was difficult to get right, due to many of the issues mentioned above, but notably, varying internet quality and sound delays making it difficult to sing together through a video conferencing app. One discussion participant shared multiple great ideas of ways in which her organisation was creating educational content and making it available to young people to work on at home, but she expressed frustration at the one-sided nature of this activity, missing the interactive element to teaching.
Solutions
Alongside these challenges, many shared their successes in terms of building singing into their online offer and taking part in their own singing groups outside of work. The majority of practitioners attending the session were also singers themselves, and it was great to hear about some of the ways in which they were participating in singing. Perhaps some of the following ideas will be useful to readers – either for their own interests, or for building ideas into their work with young people!
People shared their experiences of taking part in virtual choirs: one participant described a situation where a choir leader teaches a song over Zoom (other video conferencing platforms are available!) and sends backing tracks to singers for them to practice. When it’s time to perform the song, everyone mutes their microphones and sings the piece together – of course it’s not exactly the same as being able to hear your peers singing along next to you, but there’s still a sense of togetherness gained from singing along at the same time. Another participant described a similar set-up, with an additional group for discussing the piece of music and the experience of singing it after the official ‘rehearsal’ was over. On the other hand, another person described an option that requires a little bit more technological know-how to coordinate but perhaps gives a bigger sense of contributing to a group effort: individual choir members can learn their vocal line to a song, and then film themselves singing along to a shared backing track (through headphones, so only the voice can be heard on the video). Each singer’s video is sent to someone who can edit the videos together, and a final ‘performance’ of all the edited videos can be made. This gives participants something they can look back at and share with people, and for some people, may also remove the barriers around feeling shy about doing something ‘live’ on Zoom, as they can record at a time that’s comfortable for them, and only choose to send a video in that they’re happy with.
There were some other general tips shared around online working and helping young people to become more comfortable with the idea of participating in online singing activities. One member of the network told us that in their organisation, every new participant to an online activity will be given an induction into how to use Zoom. This enables the young people to get comfortable using the platform and its different features, and also gives the practitioners delivering the activity the opportunity to have a general chat with each young person to get a picture of the kinds of music activities they’re interested in taking part in.
In terms of overcoming self-consciousness, one vocal tutor suggested normalising the process of taking part online. She acknowledged that, of course, it’s hard to ignore the pretty big differences in delivery when a singing lesson or other session is happening online, but trying not to make a big deal of the awkward parts and acting as normal as possible was one way to put participants at ease. Another participant noted that whilst many young people might find the idea of taking part in something online awkward or daunting, many others who feel self-conscious about starting a new activity in person might be more used to making connections online, and may find being able to take part from the comfort of their own homes more encouraging.
As well as discussions around how to make online singing activity more effective, there were some great resources shared:
Audacity: a piece of free music editing software for those wanting to record backing tracks to send out to participants (as well as do lots of additional non-singing related things!)
A Capella: an iPhone app that allows users to layer recorded videos. Could be used to sing harmonies with yourself or other singers.
General discussion and participant resources
Alongside these practical tips and solutions specifically related to moving singing activities online, we had a brilliant general discussion about the physical and mental health benefits of singing.
We talked a lot about breath work and how singing and other breathing exercises can be useful for good lung and respiratory health. One participant pointed out how, particularly in response to stress or anxiety, we take on different breathing habits and can end up breathing from different parts of our bodies. By singing (and taking part in other breath-related activities such as meditation) we can learn how to focus on our breath, promoting good physical and mental health.
For children and young people who might need a little more guidance on such exercises, there are some fantastic resources. One participant working for a music service shared a bank of brilliant daily vocal warm ups aimed at children of primary school age, which you can find here. For slightly older audiences, another network member shared this YouTube channel full of tutorials and exercises for beatboxing, singing and breathing.
We also discussed the sense of belonging and cohesion brought about by singing in a group, and although members of the online network had different experiences of singing in their homes, several people agreed that for parents, particularly of young children, having a familiar, collective activity such as singing that they can do as a family was a great way to relieve tensions and pressures in the home. One participant discussed the positive feedback she’d had from those using the resources her organisation had put online, saying that parents of young children in particular were noticing the impact that regular singing at home was having on their wellbeing. This participant has kindly shared the link to her organisation’s collection of songs recorded for Early Years children, which you can access here.
And of course, more widely, we discussed the social and emotional benefits of singing. Not only does singing have an impact on our physiological health, it also produces dopamine, a brain chemical often associated with happiness, as well as memory and focus. One participant discussed how singing (or any other form of creative expression) can make a significant contribution to a young person’s identity or sense of self, and many other participants of the group agreed and were able to relate to this on a personal level as well as noticing this in the young people they work with.
We’ve all seen in the news just how effective singing has been for uniting some neighbourhoods: from balcony singing in Italy to socially distant street parties in Bristol, the group acknowledged the power that singing and music-making has in bringing communities together. We were mindful, however, of those living in more rurally isolated areas who may not be able to enjoy the same experiences of social singing in their neighbourhoods as those in more urban/suburban areas. And similarly, we were reminded that whilst many people are finding more time for themselves to sing and explore their individual vocal practices, there are others who are less able to do this as a result of competing work and family priorities, or who are in other circumstances that don’t support this.
If you’d like to read more about the ways in which singing can affect our happiness and mood, one network member shared a brilliant blog, which you can access here.
We hope that you have found some of these resources and ideas helpful, but we’d also love to continue the conversation with more of you. What’s your experience of singing been? Have you found effective ways to build singing into your online offer for young musicians? Are you singing in your own daily routine to support your physical and mental health? Has your neighbourhood been enjoying some collective (but socially distant!) music making? Let us know!