To Solo or to Choir — Which Boosts Well-Being The Most?

The balance between autonomy and collective joy

While under oppressive Soviet rule, Estonia found its rebellious voice in an unexpected ally: music.

The choral festivals, which first started as a response to famine and later a statement of nationalism, evolved into a subversive act during Soviet occupation.

Stalin realized the influence of mass culture and tried to hijack this tool to his agenda. He commissioned Estonian composers to create songs glorifying Lenin and Soviet communism. However, the Estonians persisted in singing indigenous songs that spoke to their souls.

They sang “sly songs” or “cunning songs” that carried subtle messages like national identity, resistance, or sentiments that were not in line with the official Soviet narrative. They allowed Estonians to express their true feelings in the face of Soviet censorship.

In 1998, a monumental event unfolded in Estonia, marking the beginning of the “Singing Revolution.” A rally of an astonishing 300,000 people took place at Tallinn’s Song Festival Grounds. This gathering was a powerful display of unity and resilience, and it set the stage for a series of events that would lead to Estonia’s quest for independence.

It went something like this.

Choirs stood not only as a revolution against political tyranny but a testament to the power of music to unify and guide a nation toward freedom.

This peaceful resistance unlike any other beautifully underscores the profound impact of communal singing. The Estonian experience reminds us of the power people can draw from singing together and why we need choirs now more than ever.

Choir up or go solo?

Singing alone seems too mainstream when a choir can give you collective vocal therapy for free.

Jokes aside, is it better for a person to shine solo or blend in with a choir?

A study at the University of Bath in 2016, looked at the psychological benefits of these 3 alternatives:

• Singing in a choir
• Going solo
• Engaging in team sports

The researchers gathered 375 participants from these 3 categories, spanning ages 18 to 78, and surveyed them to learn which group showed the major benefits in well-being. They had two main findings:

• Choral singers and team sports players reported significantly higher scores (about 39%) on a well-being scale compared to solo singers.
• Solo singers scored significantly higher (around 58%) on autonomy compared to both team sport players and choral singers.

Why is that?

The choir experience satisfies two basic psychological needs: competence and relatedness. The desire to improve and master the task of singing (competence), coupled with the sense of connection and belonging (relatedness), contribute to a consistent positive impact on well-being. However, they seem to sacrifice a bit of autonomy for their group experience. Singing together means less “doing your own thing.”

And this is where solo singers thrive. They have more autonomy and get to be the captain of their musical ship. Having that freedom is essential for people’s well-being but the sense of community and shared purpose in choir singing appears to outweigh this individualistic need.

In essence, it’s who you do things with that boosts your well-being.

The benefits extend to all ages

Singing is a low-cost, high-impact tool, but is it a game-changer for the well-being of seniors?

A study in 2017 addressed this. Researchers dived into a senior community choir, the Golden Voices, initiated by the Manchester city council back in 2008, and ran the study for 4 years to see the long-term effects of singing in a choir.

They used interviews and focus groups to collect the senior’s most intimate thoughts about this experience.

So what did they find after all those years?

• Long-term happiness: Choir members reported positive emotions, enjoyment, and a sense of achievement. This experience of well-being stretched for a longer time frame. Instead of a quick burst of joy, it felt more like a sustainable source of happiness.
• Connection beyond rehearsals: It wasn’t just about singing for themselves; members wanted to connect with others. They took their singing beyond rehearsals to different communities and audiences.
• Not-so-harmonious moments: Despite the overall enjoyment, there were instances of negative emotions post-singing. Conflicts between choir members and disagreements over singing types did pop up, but they seemed to be worked out.

The lesson is that choirs are not just about singing. They’re about social bonding, a shared purpose, and orchestrating well-being. Choirs are a source of profound personal and social benefits that extend across all ages.

What about virtual choirs?

The pandemic brought a new set of challenges to many domains including music.

Choirs, like everything else, had to adapt to the whole distancing situation. As health issues forced us into innovative ways to keep doing music, it also piqued researcher's interest.

Inspired by the composer Eric Whitacre’s initiative “Virtual Choir 6: Sing Gently” spanning 40,000 singers from 145 countries, researchers from the University of York wanted to explore the impact of virtual choirs during the Covid-19 crisis.

They surveyed nearly 4,000 choir members and facilitators in the UK and covered everything from why people engaged or didn’t engage in virtual choirs to their emotional responses.

The results showcase a mix of quantitative and qualitative insights:

• Not surprisingly, nearly 30% of choir members had their usual choirs come to a screeching halt during lockdown. However, 5% (around 200 people) of them joined a completely new virtual choir.
• A chunk of facilitators (38%) decided not to do the online choir experience.
• For multi-track virtual choirs, 51% of members were all in for every opportunity, and 76% enjoyed the final product. It’s like watching a Netflix series but with singing.
• Solo singing, especially in the virtual world, stirred mixed emotions. Some saw it as an opportunity for self-reflection and improvement, while others found it a bit soul-crushing.
• The unanimous sentiment? Frustration and sadness about being unable to belt it out together in person.

What’s the grand takeaway from all this?

Virtual choirs, while a noble attempt, couldn’t quite capture the magic of in-person singing. The shared physical and sensory experience of making music together was sorely missed.

We need the physical social connection to thrive otherwise the experience will feel like a diet soda, satisfying but you know it’s not the real thing.

Let’s learn from Estonia

Estonia has a long tradition of choral work where a significant portion of the population actively participates in choirs. It’s their most popular activity!

What makes their case extraordinary is the widespread participation and the exceptionally high level of musical proficiency achieved. Nearly every Estonian has choir experience, can any other country say the same? Also, their Song and Dance Celebration is a testament to their singing proficiency. This is a large-scale cultural event that brings together choirs, dancers, and musicians from across the country.

My Estonian friend told me that choirs across the country work for years to be able to perform at this festival that takes place every five years. They get a repertoire that they religiously practice so that when more than 30,000 people gather at the main arena, they can enjoy themselves and sing flawlessly.

This event is a testament to Estonia’s commitment to communal singing like no other country. It’s so impressive that the Song and Dance Celebration was recognized by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

That’s a level of togetherness on a massive scale you’ve never seen before.

Final thoughts

Singing alongside others is a powerful experience that doesn’t compare to anything else.

As we’ve seen in the abovementioned studies, the sense of community and shared purpose in choir singing appears to outweigh an individualistic need. It provides a unique balance where people satisfy the need for competence and autonomy while fostering a strong sense of togetherness.

My recommendation for you is to join a choir.

It’s not just about the singing; it’s about feeling part of something greater than you.

So only one question remains.

Where can you find the nearest choir to your doorstep?

Want to learn more about the sound verse?

Join my newsletter to explore everything related to music and sound, from the effects on our psyche to the technologies that use sound to improve our lives.