Page 142 - Glasbenopedagoški zbornik Akademije za glasbo, letnik 20, zvezek 40 ◆ The Journal of Music Education of the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, volume 20, issue 40

vely affect wellbeing. The second study (Stewart & Londsdale, 2016) used three
glasbenopedagoški zbornik ◆ letnik/volume 20 ◆ številka/number 40
groups – choir singers, solo singers and team sports players – to explore psycho-
logical and social wellbeing aspects associated with choir participation. The
aim was to examine how different activities influenced participants’ mood, so-
cial bonding, and their subjective wellbeing. Results indicated that the cho-
ir singers group experienced notable improvements in mood, social connecte-
dness and subjective (hedonic) wellbeing after the rehearsals, distinguishing
them from both solo singers and team sports players. Despite these benefits,
choir singers reported lower autonomy levels compared to solo singers, sug-
gesting a potential compromise between individual autonomy and the com-
munal aspect inherent in choral singing. Employing Self-Determination The-
ory, the study revealed that choir singers had a strong intrinsic motivation and
valued their own activity, although autonomy levels were low. Choir singers
and team sports players showed higher levels of overall wellbeing, compared
to solo singers, which underscores the positive impact of group activities. Cho-
ir singers reported a higher entitavity score, indicating a strong sense of social
identity and cohesion within the choir community, compared to team sports
players. The third study (Maltschweiger & Sattmann, 2016) included four di-
fferent comparison groups: 3 choirs, 2 brass bands, 3 theatre involvement gro-
ups and 1 concert listening group. It focused on examining the effects of each
group activity on participants’ psychological, emotional and social wellbeing.
They found that choir and theatre group members reported higher levels of po-
sitive affect and reduced stress after the activity, when compared to the brass
band group. They also found that the more participants like and are familiar
with the musical piece they are engaging with (playing, singing, listening to),
the more they experience wellbeing. Choir singers reported reduced stress be-
fore and during the rehearsals, and their anxiety levels decreased after, compa-
red to the concert listening group, whose anxiety levels increased during the
activity. The study showed that choir participation, brass band and theatre gro-
up were perceived as positive activities, with choir singers frequently reporting
improved wellbeing after rehearsals, supporting the previous research regar-
ding positive effects from choral singing on overall health and wellbeing.
The systematic review shows that choral singing is a valuable activity that
significantly contributes to various aspects of wellbeing for both adolescents
and adults. Its unique combination of psychological, social, emotional, cogni-
tive and physical benefits distinguishes it from other leisure activities. It under-
scores the importance of promoting choral singing as a beneficial practice for
enhancing overall health and quality of life. The findings highlight the signifi-
cance of choir engagement not only for individual growth but also as a means
of fostering inclusion and social connections during the formative years. The
scarcity of research dedicated to the wellbeing of adolescents in choirs shows a
notable gap, emphasizing the need for more extensive investigations in this es-
sential area.

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