Spectacular community flash mobs, spontaneous hymns in the street, an out pouring of entertainers singing “LIVE” for the online community, a social “couch choir”, fun music videos of family dancing and singing at home, European citizens creating vocal duos across the balconies are all affirmations that singing creates a sense of belonging and participation.

Singing is an antidote to the growing sense of alienation and isolation in society in general – even more so now we are being asked to actively practice social distancing and isolation. My personal story has reinforced my deep understanding of the importance of singing. It supported my journey through different cancer battles, where I had to self-isolate for 6 months because of a compromised immune system.

What is happening when we sing? How does it get under our skin, making us feel immediately connected in a way that often cannot be explained?

Singing is the social balm for soothing anxiety and creating deeper connections through one very simple process, vibration.

In a social distancing environment, we as human beings are desperate to FEEL something good. We want our brothers and sisters to know we see them, hear them and feel them. We want to contribute, to make others feel better and in this environment. As many social experts predicted, the voice is the way of the future.

I am not sure that the experts could anticipate that the beginning of the post-materialist era would start with a global crisis. They were on point, identifying that the materialistic world as we knew it would stop and the foundation, the underpinning of human existence would change almost overnight.

What’s happening when we sing, or we listen to someone sing?

Step 1: Singing starts from a thought, a belief, a desire to share how we are feeling with the outside world. Singing is an external expression of gratitude that helps other human beings navigate through personal and social development, mental health issues, well being benefits, community strength and harmony. It also strengthens our immune systems.

Step 2: We take a breath in. The breath is the vehicle that will transport our feelings to the outside world.

Step 3: We attach our thoughts, beliefs desires to the breath and start the onset of sound.

Step 4: The breath starts to release, setting the vocal cords vibrating up to 1500 times per second. The sound at this stage is just a gargle.

Step 5: The breath then travels up through the back of the throat into the resonating cavities. This is where you can manipulate the quality of your voice.

Step 6: You attach the complex language system to the sound with consonants, vowels and syllables with our articulators.

Step 7: The sound leaves your body and travels through the air as a sound wave.

Step 8: Your voice lands, not just on the ears, but the entire body of your listener and because sound penetrates mass, your voice is now inside the body of your listener. You have gotten underneath the skin of your listener, giving them the Goosebumps. And it is here that the MAGIC happens.

Your voice, in the body of your listener creates what is known as a sympathetic vibration, and this creates one of two responses. The “yum” or the “yuck” you either like it or you don’t.

This whole process is driven by the intention behind the sound. The intention of how you want your listener to feel.

The world wants to feel something good. Singing is the quickest, most powerful and deepest ways we can stay connected with our global village. To set the intention and say to our neighbours, I understand. I feel the same way. It’s going to be OK and we got this.

Singing is a natural and powerful antidote to the torture of isolation that we are going through as a planet. Sing to your loved ones, sing in the shower, let the emotion out and continue to do what we do best as human beings… feel connected.

Check out my SPECIAL COVID-19 Singing Packages: https://www.lisalockland-bell.com/covid-19-specials