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Elizabethtown Social Center
Singing in a choir makes you happier! It’s science. Jaime Babbitt recently wrote an article for Chorale Director magazine entitled “Your Brain and Singing: Why Singing in a Choir Makes You Happier.” Numerous studies were cited supporting the idea that even amatuer-level singing brings emotional, physical, and cognitive benefits. Singing in the shower is not just cliché – it is theraputic!
In one study, Dr. Gene D. Cohen of George Washington University monitored members of a chorale in Arlington, Virginia. The singers suffered depression less frequently, made fewer doctor’s visits each year, needed less medication, and increased their other activities. Singing is basically self-care! Take care of yourself by joining the Pleasant Valley Chorale’s fall session starting Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 7 p.m.
The chorale will begin rehearsing its holiday program for two mid-December concerts. New members are always welcome at the start of session; no auditions are required but a commitment to attending rehearsals is strongly encouraged. Dues for the session are $15. Please contact the center with questions.
Thank you to everyone in the community who supported and attended our summer lawn concert series! We feel so fortunate to be able to offer live performances for our friends and family to enjoy. Access to live music and drama in our community is so beneficial, as Jaime Babbitt writes in the above-referenced article: “Singing (both listening to it and doing it) releases dopamine, a chemical that works to help regulate the brain’s pleasure and reward centers. Music has also been found to release serotonin, a neurotransmitter found mostly in the digestive tract that helps regulate our moods, social behaviors and appetite; other studies have shown that cortisol levels can be lower when listening to music and singing.”
We would like to thank those who supported On the Center Lawn: Papa Duke’s BBQ; the Elizabethtown Town Council and Supervisor Noel Merrihew; the Essex County Arts Council; the Essex County Board of Supervisors; and the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council for the Arts with the support of Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and administered by the Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts.
— Find more information at elizabethtownsocialcenter.org or call (518)873-6408.
