Singing With Friends

February 01, 2022

Singing With Friends

An 80's station was playing in the background. I was at my friend, Laura's, cabin along with her sister, Mary. Laura had cooked a wonderful meal for us that cold night: Lake trout, seasoned rice and fresh broccoli. The fireplace and candles were warming touches as was the company and conversation. It was a lovely moment.

But when Donna Sommer's "Last Dance" came on, I said, "I love Disco music!" Before Donna even got to the first verse Laura was up dancing! Mary and I stood up, too, and soon we were all dancing and singing! When we sat down again we were full of smiles and agreed how fun that was! I said, "I think something happens in my brain 💡 when I sing."

The Backstory (48 Hours Before the Trout Dinner): I usually listen to news while driving. Afterwards I can feel overwhelmed, even anxious. But as I drove the hour and a half home on the interstate north that day, I made a conscious choice that instead of listening to the news that I would listen, and sing, to some music. You see, I had a hunch (based on recent experiences singing Christmas Carols) that singing would increase my happiness. So, I gave this happy-curious experiment a conscious try.

I grabbed the stack of loose CD's from the door of my car and chose the red and black bull's eye design that I recognized: U2's Vertigo. Vertigo was a favorite: I knew the words, the rhythms and the drum parts, and I'd even used two of the songs teaching modern dance. So as soon as the Edge's guitar started it's scratchy rhythm I sat up to get better prepared to sing! Within seconds I was in heaven, singing along with Bono, dancing and driving, and keeping rhythm on the steering wheel!

I was right about my hunch: listening to U2 did increase my happiness. But it wasn't just listening to music that increased my happiness, it was the singing!

Back at the Trout dinner I had said, "I think something happens in my brain💡 when I sing." That night we all agreed that singing and dancing "made" us happy! Then Mary said, "Singing must release dopamine in our brain!"

A Happy-Curious Experiment: Mary was right about the dopamine! Watch the short video below (1.26 minutes) on what singing does to our brains! It turns out our brains love to sing and singing does affect our mood positively! After watching the video try this experiment: Put on some music that you have a hunch you'd enjoy singing to, and notice what happens to your level of happiness.

But know this, my experiment with singing wasn't the first thing I'd tried to get happier. I've been happy curious for about six years now. During these years I've explored my patterns of behavior, my beliefs, my way of being in relationships, my mental health, and my family of origin. I've also explored therapy, my Christian faith, my yoga practice, my use of alcohol, my connection to nature and animals, my jobs, where I lived, dancing, and singing!

In other words, I've done more than a few happy-curious experiments! And though it's taken a while, it's been worth it...because I'm happier than I've been in a long time.

So that's the end of my first happy-curious blog. Thank you for reading it!

Even more so, thank you for showing up to your own happy-curious life!

Warmly, Nancy ☕