Search Results (7)

Previous research indicates that choir singing enhances mental well-being. This study explores whether these well-being benefits are related to the personality traits of singers. We assessed the personality traits of 760 German amateur choral singers (205 men, 555 women, mean age 47.1 ± 14.0 years) using a 30-item version of the NEO–Five–Factor Inventory and compared them with a representative population sample. General mental well-being was measured with the WHO-5 well-being index, and perceived mental health benefits from singing were evaluated using the Bochum Change Questionnaire (BCQ-2000). Regression analyses examined the relationship between personality traits, BCQ-2000, and WHO-5 well-being scores. Choral singers scored significantly higher than the general population on extraversion, openness to experience, and agreeableness. The WHO-5 scores of choir singers were significantly positively correlated with extraversion and conscientiousness, and negatively with neuroticism. BCQ-2000 scores were significantly positively associated with extraversion, openness, and agreeableness. In this exploratory study, we examined the association between personality traits and singing-related mental well-being without accounting for other potential sociodemographic confounders of mental health, such as socioeconomic status. The study suggests that the self-reported mental well-being benefits of singing are influenced by individual personality traits. Full article

Participation in group activities such as choirs has been shown to have positive effects on emotional health and overall well-being. Inclusive choirs, which integrate individuals of various abilities and diverse backgrounds, provide a unique space for social interaction, emotional expression, and inclusion. This study aims to explore the impact of participation in an inclusive choir on the emotional health of its members, identifying both positive and negative emotional impacts as well as personal experiences derived from their participation. This longitudinal exploratory study combines participant observation, field notes, focus groups, and questionnaires to gain a deep understanding of the participant’s emotional experiences through their narratives. The study was conducted in an inclusive choir located in a medium-sized city in Spain, which brings together people of various ages, genders, abilities, and cultural backgrounds. The results indicated that most participants experienced significant improvements in their emotional well-being, including increased self-esteem, a greater sense of belonging, and reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression. Participants also reported that the choir provided a safe space for emotional expression and the building of meaningful relationships. Participation in an inclusive choir can have a considerable positive impact on the emotional health of its members. Full article

Prayer in human life enables directing attention to God and a transcendent goal beyond Earthly life. Singing has been present in the life of Israel since the oldest times, which is proved on the pages of the Holy Scriptures, in the Books of Exodus and Psalms. In the New Testament, there is a lot of encouragement to sing the glory of God in psalms and songs, as well as praising God Most High in Revelation. The Catholic Church is concerned with the quality of liturgical music through a number of recommendations and requirements defining the pieces that may become a part of the liturgy. Liturgical choir singing is a special form of common prayer. The aim of the present paper is to examine the effect of prayer by choral singing on human flourishing. The aim was achieved by analyzing recommendations of the Church on liturgical music, presenting the assumptions of the theoretical model investigating the effect of art on human flourishing, and then conducting empirical studies. Sixteen in-depth interviews were carried out with members of fourteen choirs. There were four groups of respondents according to their gender and family status. All obtained codes were organized into five main themes with four subcategories. They confirmed the assumptions of the model presented in the theoretical part and made it possible to identify the effect of choral singing on the performers’ health and the improvement of their skills. In addition, they showed a direct relation between prayer and spiritual well-being when singing in a choir, a coherence of activities with values as well as the striving for happiness. Full article

Music viewed from the real praxis could trigger positive religious emotions as the path of beauty in those searching for the meaning of life or the higher one in God. The article aims to encourage interdisciplinarity in teaching Catholic RE in Croatia, presenting many benefits of music and examples of positive practices that music can encourage in students. The main purpose of this paper, after recognizing the needs and difficulties of interdisciplinary teaching primarily for teachers in Croatia, is to create a model of implementing music content efficiently in Catholic religious education (RE) in Croatia. The research finds the necessity to unite experts from three fields to make interdisciplinary teaching efficient and progressively constructive: religious education pedagogy and music pedagogy combined with music practice itself through professional conductors. Nevertheless, the text seeks to expose an easily applicable model that leads to efficient and progressive interdisciplinary teaching, which is also the main aim of the work. The research is significant as this model could be examined in different subject areas, highlighting that singing in class could encourage religious sensibility and help improve spiritual and religious competencies. The research findings showed that the advantages and specifics of choral singing could be integrated into the religious education curriculum, making RE more dynamic and challenging for students. The research is based on a literature review, a data analysis, as well as participant observation (teacher and conductor) as methods to prove advantages and possibilities of how to implement music into the RE curriculum. Full article

Inclusion promotes equal opportunities, and aims to eliminate discrimination, by ensuring full access, participation, and representation for all individuals in society, with music playing a crucial role in addressing this global challenge, and fostering positive and inclusive change. The aim of this study is to identify perceptions of inclusive culture, policies, values, and practices in one specific inclusive choir in Spain. The sample consisted of 135 members, ranging from 18 to 79 years of age, of which 22.2% have recognised disabilities. All of them filled in the adapted Scale for the Assessment of Inclusion (SAI) form. The results show that, regardless of gender, age, and length of participation in the choir, their members share positive perceptions of the inclusiveness of its values, policies, practices, and culture. However, perceptions vary across the groups surveyed, and are generally more favourable among participants with a disability, those without a university education, or those aged 26 or over. It is found that people who participate in an inclusive choir, in which music is the mediating resource, perceive a high level of inclusion that allows them to feel they belong to a group where diversity, equality, and the promotion of people are respected. The findings are analysed, considering the importance of conducting multidimensional evaluations that include all members of an organisation. Full article

In France, around one-fifth of children have reading difficulties, and school results are highly dependent on their socio-economic status. In this context, the need for alternative and innovative teaching techniques holds importance, and more artistic approaches are promising. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a daily choral singing or creative writing practice on the cognitive and linguistic development of French children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Eighty children participated in this longitudinal study, for whom we measured several cognitive and linguistic skills at the beginning (pre-test) and end (post-test) of the school year. The results showed that children in “singing” classes improved both their reading skills and processing speed, while those in “writing” classes improved their reading skills and vocabulary. These results open up new avenues of learning support, specifically for children with difficulties. Full article

Music is so vital in the services of African American Baptist churches that there are few moments in the service when music—either congregational or choral singing, or instrumental music of some sort—is not being performed. Sustained as an auditory or imagined presence, music acts almost as a timbral membrane for the presence of the Holy Spirit throughout the service. The Holy Spirit is physically manifested (inspiration by the Holy Spirit) in the church membership, predominantly (if not exclusively) in a musical context. In order to ground the general in the particular, I will give detailed consideration to two musical instances or events from the Sunday morning service at Clear Creek Missionary Baptist Church on 4 November 2012, contextualising those within a broader context. Full article