Good morning. We are going to get started.
I want to thank you for
taking time out of your busy day, once
again  ,
and join us for another edition of
Explore This...
I am Chad Myler. I am the Health
Promotion Manager for Life & Work
Connections.
If you're new to Explore This..., Explore
This... is a weekly series where I will sit
down with University of Arizona subject
matter experts
to discuss ideas and tips that relate to
the many dimensions of your
well-being. Today my guest is Dr.
Elizabeth Schauer. She's a professor of
music
and the associate director for choral
activities for the
Fred Fox school of music.  Dr. Schauer,
how are you doing today?
I'm doing well, and how about you Chad?
I'm doing great.
Can't complain too much here.
 
We we had a good talk earlier
this week, and
 
we're thinking about what can we talk
about? So many things we can talk
about with music.
So we thought, okay, music, community,
connections. A lot of things that can
bring us together in some times where
things are up in the air. 
We talked, and my first
question for you is,
 what are some ways that music can
bring about
a sense of community? What a great
question!  We think about,
maybe, that we have to be making music
together
in order to create community. But that's
not really true.
Even just knowing the same music can
help affect community. When we think
about that generationally,
when you have people of the
same same age, they often know and
identify with the same music of their
youth.
For example, when I go to visit my Mom
where she is in an Assisted Living
Facility,
if they're having a concert or a
sing-along with music of the 40's and 50's,
you can see everybody light up.
Because they have a love of that music
and they have the memory of whatever was
happening in their life at that time.
High School and College Students maybe
they share
song lists, and groups and artists and
so forth. Even just that sharing,
that music that we
listen to or experience, can create a
sense of community for us.
Individuals feel connected through their
shared appreciation or sometimes even
their dislike
of the same music, that others know.
That's one way the actual experience of
listening to music together
can create a sense of community so when
people attend a concert together, and
maybe right now that's
online attending a concert together. They
have a shared experience.
Even if you meet someone later who
went to that same concert you feel this
connection with them because you have
that experience. Maybe you like the
same music.
One of my favorite things about my job
is getting to work with an incredible
group of students that make up the
symphonic choir.
During this last half of the
semester when we couldn't sing together,
one of the small group assignments was
to create a virtual concert.
And I don't mean virtual choir but to
put together a concert of different
components and then share it
with the rest of the choir and we
felt really connected.
Experiencing that together, even though
we couldn't sing together.
Another way music can connect us is if
we hear
music with words or without that
expresses feelings that we have.
Then we can feel less alone because
somebody else has had that experience
and understands
what we're going through.Learning the
music of other cultures can help us
understand people in a really visceral
way. Whether we're listening or singing
or playing
that can help us to understand and
celebrate the ways that we're different,
and the ways that we're also the same in
a kind of global community.
Then group singing which maybe we
can't do right now but
when we can again has been part of
the human experience for tens of
thousands of years.
It was traditionally literally a
community building exercise that
everybody participated in.
There weren't performers and an
audience.
Everybody just did it right and you
didn't care if you had a good voice or
you didn't have a good voice, because
that wasn't the purpose of it.
Some people even think that group
singing is an evolutionary reward
for coming together socially instead of
living in social isolation.
So it's important that people not be
judgy
about singing. Either their own or anyone
else's, because
music's for everyone.  If you think
about when you go to a baseball game
and people sing Sweet Caroline together,
right? Nobody's careful.
Everybody just sings and they're having
fun. It doesn't matter if you're the
same religion or age or political party
or ethnic background or anything. You
don't have to talk.
You don't have to agree. You just sing.
So it turns out there are actual
biological and neurological phenomena
that cause us to feel happier
and more socially bonded when we sing in
groups. So group singing
literally strengthens a community. Even
if you're just listening in that group
of singers, you still get some of the
brain boost
that the singers get.But music is for
everyone and singing is for free and I
can't wait till we can gather again to
sing safely together. But even for now
there are lots of ways that music can
create community and connect us. 
That's awesome! I really
love that you pointed out that
connection of maybe
you going to a concert, or learning about
an
artist.  I like some
obscure people and then when I mention
it, and someone's, "I've heard of them". It's
like, "Oh I want to give you a hug". I may
not be able to right now, but
in a year, I'll give them a hug or
something. 
I loved also that you mentioned that
singing in the group and
and not having that judgmental tone and
people just doing it.  I'm a huge soccer fan, so anyone who's
listening, watching,
look up videos of the the Liverpool
Football Club Fans.
Before every game they always sing,
You'll Never Walk Alone, which is
my favorite song of all time. They
are very drunk, usually, at the beginning
of it, so there's
very many vocal pitches. And it's all
over the place but it's beautiful and it
is a sense of community.
I get chills every time I listen to
it. I love
 that you shared that and it's
definitely something that 
we can feel, with that. So, you've
mentioned that
there is that community and it
brings people together.
What are some of the the health benefits
for singing whether it is in a group
or if it's just out-loud in the shower
in the morning?
You know we're still finding out so many
of the health benefits of it. There's
been so many studies lately,
but there are lots of benefits. Part of
the healing potential of singing is
because of the deep breathing that's
involved. Research suggests that singing
increases the amount of oxygenated blood
that rushes to the brain.
Also it triggers the release of
happy hormones like oxytocin
that can lower stress levels and blood
pressure. So this is a great time for
that, I think.
Physically singing can, it can if you're
doing it
the right way: exercise the lungs, tone
the intercostal muscles,
improve sleep, improve aerobic capacity,
which benefits the heart and circulation,
decrease muscle tension, improve mental
alertness,
open up sinuses, in respiratory tubes,
release pain relieving endorphins,
boost the immune system, and help fight
disease, and it can even help reduce
anger, depression,
and anxiety. So sounds like I'm selling
snake oil, doesn't it? No.
Socially singing has been shown to
increase self-esteem, confidence, and
feelings of well-being,
enhance mood, increase positive feelings,
and encourage creativity.
Then lastly we're just
beginning to learn all of the
therapeutic capacity
of music. Specific things we do know that
music making produces measurable changes
in the brain.
Including changes that positively impact
our ability to heal after
strokes by assisting the formation of
alternative pathways around the damaged
brain tissue.
Many tucsonans might remember that music
therapy was a crucial part
of Gabrielle Giffords, the Congresswoman
healing after her traumatic brain injury.
The story is that the music therapist
was singing happy birthday,
and the first word that she was able to
speak, was when it comes to that part of
the song where you're supposed to say a
name.
And she said her name and that was the
first word. Then it's been a great
long journey since then.
That was, literally, the creating of new
neural pathways that helped her.
During normal times there are even more
benefits of group singing
than just of singing. In addition to the
benefits that I mentioned,
choral singing can increase
neurotransmitters.
That activate the brain's pleasure
center and ward of depression.
When people sing in groups, they've
found that their hearts tend to
synchronize.
Their pulses slow down and speed up
together. That can be helpful
with reducing the risk of cardiac
disease. Has mental
health benefits. Also it can benefit
people from
combating feelings of isolation and
loneliness and reducing social isolation.
And creating a strong sense of
well-being.  Some people say it's
as helpful as yoga, although
I'm not sure if that's true.  
It's not safe yet
to sing in groups, but when it is again
then everybody should do it. Right? It's
fun and it's good for you. So why
wouldn't you do it?
Absolutely! That list of benefits
is huge.
I'm not going to end up in a
yoga pose, myself. I would rather sing in
the shower aloud and receive those
benefits.
I love that, definitely. We shared
in the chat just
to those who were watching live, if you
have any specific questions on some more
of these benefits and whatnot,
please feel free to reach out to Dr.
Schauer. We put her email there.
Or our Life & Work Connections email,
and we can forward them on. Because
it sounds like there's a whole host and
we could go down so many
awesome rabbit holes, on that. Right. So
feel free to do that. Dr. Schauer, we
we talked about this a little bit this
week, when we were prepping for
this and looking into this.
Obviously, there's lots of restrictions
and things going on, to the current
situation that we're in right now.
With those in mind,
what are some ways that people
can still get involved in music in their
community?
So we have great community radio
stations here. Literally, when you
listen to those, you have a community
listening experience.
KXCI is really eclectic.
They have great DJ's that teach you
about that music we have. KOAT that's for
more classical, and KJAZ for people who
like jazz.
There are lots of virtual online
concerts and music events that people
can experience.
It's a great time to consider taking
online music
lessons. I have lots of great musical
colleagues that I know are teaching
voice and piano
and instruments, if you have an
instrument available at home.
How to read music, music theory. If you're stuck at home,
that's a great time to practice and
learn that new skill.
There are online resources that
you can use
to learn, I don't know if it's about
community, but you can learn how to read
music and
music theory online. Some free.
You can just sing and dance in your
home, on your own, with a recording
in the shower, with your family, you can
teach your children, you can sing with
your kids and teach them songs.
I mean that's literally community at the
micro level.
Then when the situation allows there
are tons of opportunities to participate
in live music in Tucson. Whether that's
going to one of the many
live music events as a an attendee or
whether it's participating. We have many,
many
ensembles for singing and playing in the
community. Including some where you never
have to have been in one before.
Even at the university, we have ensembles
orchestra band and choir that are
available on the weekends
and at night and during the lunch hour.
We have events where you don't even have
to rehearse regularly like Tucson big
sing which is a community sing-along
and Tucson beer choir where you just
show up and
sing songs about beer. We figured out
how to do that online so if you're
interested in that, you can like our
Tucson Beer Choir Facebook page.
But there are lots of possibilities and
I'm happy to make recommendations about
any of these things.
We talked about putting a resource list
together and there were so many.
I just said just email me and I can
connect you with an orchestra, or
Mariachi group, or
a folk song group, or an Irish group or
whatever.
Music's for everyone so please come
participate in one of those, when safety
allows that to happen again. There also
are many religious choirs that
are volunteer and open to everyone.
That's a great!
I totally echo dance parties at the
end of the work day, are the greatest
thing.
My wife and our two little boys were
dancing to Queen
for 30 minutes, while dinner was cooking
last night. Because
it's a stress relief and it is that
community and
we gotta teach them in the right way so
they know what good music
is. What a great gift you're giving
them, too. That helps them develop
pulse and the love of music
and good pitch. Oh, yeah, definitely, and
one-year-olds dancing is just the
funniest thing ever because they just
kind of do squats.
So many great tips again.
 Again, those who are watching live  - in
the chat, we've got the emails there
to stay connected with us. Or to reach
out specifically to Dr. Schauer to ask
some more details, and how to get more
involved with this. 
Dr. Schauer, I ask this to all my guests
as we go through this kind of wrapping
it up, in the last minute that we have
here.
Now what is something that you're
currently doing to
better your health? Well I think, just
like everyone trying to be active
even though i'm stuck in my home. So
trying to have a regular exercise
routine. Eat well. Try to sleep, try to
read some things that aren't about work
or the virus.
Be grateful for all the things that I
have. Try to help others who are
struggling when I can, and try to
include music in the ways that I can.
Awesome, awesome! Well, thank you again, Dr.
Schauer, for
 spending some time with us today and
sharing so many awesome resources
about music. And how it does bring
that community and that sense
together.  I want to thank everybody
for hopping on, again today.
Please follow our links.
Join us again next week. Join my
colleagues in their as well.
I hope you have a wonderful
Wednesday. Be well everybody!
