Caterina.net: Singing is the Key to Long Life

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{ Thursday, March 5, 2009 }

Singing is the Key to Long Life

Brian Eno thinks that singing is one of the best things you can do for yourself:

I believe that singing is the key to long life, a good figure, a stable temperament, increased intelligence, new friends, super self-confidence, heightened sexual attractiveness and a better sense of humor. A recent long-term study conducted in Scandinavia sought to discover which activities related to a healthy and happy later life. Three stood out: camping, dancing and singing.

When I was a kid, I sang in all the choirs and choruses I was able to, and in church. My father was a bold church hymn singer, with his lovely baritone. At camp, we'd sing camp songs. And we always seemed to have a lot of musicians at work. We'd get together after work and play instruments and sing. Those were the very best times.

Eno says that song selection is the most important thing, and provides a list:

Eno's Group-Sing Song List:

Can't Help Falling In Love
Love Me Tender
Keep On the Sunny Side
Sixteen Tons
Will the Circle Be Unbroken
Dream
If I Had a Hammer
Love Hurts
I'll Fly Away
Down By the Riverside
Chapel of Love
Wild Mountain Thyme
Que Sera, Sera
Cotton Fields

Great list. There was an article in the New York Times recently about singing groups that I haven't been able to find the right search terms to surface -- I'd love help from anyone who knows where that article is!

LINK | 11:43 AM | TB

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{ COMMENTS }

It was actually on NPR:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97320958

Daniel Raffel | March 6, 2009 8:59 PM

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LOVE THIS! Fascinating data from the Scandinavian study, maps to my experience for sure. Wish I had more people around me to play and sing with...

Amy Jo Kim | March 6, 2009 11:41 PM

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Is this it?

Shared Song, Communal Memory - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/10/arts/music/10ratli.html

-AR

Arun | March 6, 2009 11:47 PM

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this is eerie. i sing around the house, and three of those songs are the ones i sing the most frequently.

"Que Sera, Sera" - which is odd because i was never a little girl, yet i'm singing this sng all the time. i even listened to the Pink Martini version of this song just today.

"If I Had a Hammer" - which isn't odd because usually i sing this while fixing things with a hammer, or even if i grab something other than a hammer out of the toolbox.. and then of course for a few days afterward.

"Can't Help Falling In Love" - is a great song to just belt out. my problem with this was for a while i though "As a river flows" was "Lonely rivers flow" for some reason.

anyway, i'm not sure about the Scanadavian hypothesis because i both sing and camp and am also generally pretty miserable. so perhaps dancing is the linchpin.

striatic | March 6, 2009 11:56 PM

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I do agree, I love singing and dancing. When ever I come home from work, I turn on my music and dance to it. I sing in the morning, sometimes very low while I am giving out medicine to my patients at my med cart. I do concentrate on what I am doing. (smile)

Linda Cleveland | March 18, 2009 8:30 AM

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Thought i was going to be providing the link to save the day. At least u got it.
Nehuu. .agreed 1000%, i sing as OFTEN as possible without completely offending those around me.
My theory of ALL release. .more room on the outside.

whu | March 29, 2009 2:52 PM

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