Making music regularly with others has been proven beneficial by scientific testing to promote brain health, improve cognitive abilities (both short-term and long-term memory) and increase the ability to focus in those who are young.   It is equally powerful for us older people – helping us to maintain both physically and psychologically and lowering their risk for dementia.   It also lowers stress and increases our sense of community and well-being. These and many other benefits of making music are documented in Your Brain Will Thank You for Being a Musician (The Scientific American.)

If there were a pill we could take which would promise these results amid the current physical and emotional threats of CV-19, we’d all be stock-piling it right now and the stores would be out of it!   But we don’t need a pill – or to rush to the store.  It’s FREE – and available:  It will benefit every person who lives in the walls of your home.  You can start today, if you aren’t already doing it – or if you are, take advantage of the blessing of having your family home 24/7 and build in some time to sing.

Perhaps I’ve just got more time on my hands right now, but I keep thinking about the very simple ways in which Brad and I started our kids singing at very young ages at home.  It wasn’t hard – in fact, it was something we just did for FUN, as a way to wind down and relax before bedtime in the earliest years.   I want to encourage you to consider making family singing a fun activity in your home, especially during this “shut-down” season.

Over the next several days I plan to post ideas for “Quarant-Sing” which could be tools for your family – or just ideas to get your started thinking creatively about how to incorporate singing into your family culture.  Stay tuned!