For Employees

Get ready to experience the mental, physical and social benefits (as well as the sheer fun) of choir singing!

After your company agrees to do a Choir Nation event, a sign-up sheet is passed around the office to see who wants to participate. Those participants are put in choirs of 10-25 people – each choir chooses a celebrated Canadian musician they want to sing with, and comes up with a list of cover songs they want to sing. The musician then chooses cover songs from that list.

Your choir then rehearses those songs once a week for a number of weeks with a Choir Nation ‘Musical Director’ – a music ninja who will teach your choir the arrangements, give tips on proper singing technique, and generally make choir singing a really fun experience.

(If the event is ‘Choir Break,’ the process is much simpler – a Musical Director just comes to your office during lunch and teaches one song for an hour that the choir then performs for the office.)

Once your choir is ready, you’ll perform with your chosen musician at a professional venue with full lighting and sound production, for family, friends, and co-workers. Afterward, you’ll be provided with professional photos and a professionally produced video of your ‘Rockstar’ moment. It’s fun, it provides a number of health benefits, and it’s an experience you’ll never have anywhere else!

SOCIAL BENEFITS

The evidence suggests that joining a choir provides a unique sense of belonging and inclusion, and provides social connections that are becoming increasingly less common in a world dictated by electronic communication. In addition, recent studies show that having friends at work is extremely important to employees’ well-being.

http://www.psmag.com/health-and-behavior/feeling-isolated-try-choral-singing

PHYSICAL BENEFITS

The physical benefits of joining a choir are vast and wide-ranging, including helping people with Parkinson’s, high blood pressure, memory loss, depression and lung disease. Also, a recent study in the UK showed that choir members unconsciously synchronized their breathing rates and heartbeats, which produced a calming effect across the entire choir!

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/why-i-joined-a-choir-and-why-its-the-best/article17494326/

MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS

Researchers have found that singing in a choir provides people with the perfect mix of elevated spirits and energy with a calming effect. The chemicals released while singing have been associated with alleviating stress and anxiety while some studies have shown music helps with feelings of depression and loneliness.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/10496056/Choir-singing-boosts-your-mental-health.html