Singing karaoke is good for children’s bodies and minds – kentlive.news

Parents are being urged to stay in tune with their children’s mental health – by singing karaoke with them.

Belting out tunes together can be a wellbeing booster for young people, producing ‘feel good’ hormones and enabling children to form close bonds with friends or relatives who share the musical experience.

Singing has also been highlighted by top music psychologist Dr Victoria Williamson as a beneficial way to spend time together because it increases kids’ confidence and encourages interaction with others.

Additionally, this natural and free activity has been proven to boost memory ability as youngsters learn to encode, recall and repeat complex lyrical sequences, as well as more subtle sounds such as accents, according to Dr Williamson.

It also helps build up their immune system, as singing involves breathing deeply, which means drawing in more oxygen than usual to support blood flow, as well as reducing levels of cortisol, which impedes natural body defences.

Strengthening facial muscles by stimulating the lips and tongue, which helps children learn to overcome issues with saying tricky words, singing also aids concentration, focus and stamina.

The number of families who chose karaoke to keep their children entertained soared during COVID lockdowns and the trend is still growing in popularity.

TV Music Video App ROXi, which gives free access to stream every music video, album and sing along with over 140,000 karaoke tracks, saw a 32% uplift in user session time during the first lockdown, between April – June 2020.

Working with the British TV streaming service, backed by Kylie Minoque and Robbie Williams, leading music psychologist Dr Victoria Williamson said: “The isolation of social lockdown, combined with episodes of increased anxiety and reduced mood, provided an environment that left people reaching out for meaningful interactions and reassuring memories.

“An activity like karaoke offers a powerful bonding experience when enjoyed with friends and family, as singing together is one of the simplest and fastest ways to bring a group of people together.

“Have you ever enjoyed a spontaneous sing along in the car, for example? The effect of togetherness, oneness and joy is instant. It requires no training and is totally free.

“And the choice of music serves to identify and reinforce the concept of membership within a unit such as a family, a friendship group, a fan collective or even a nation. Singing allows us to feel a connectedness to the core values, the memories and pleasures that we share with others.

“Singing is also a solo activity that reinforces a sense of personal autonomy, as it emerges from the power of the individual’s voice; they are in control of the loudness and the length of the music. When singing, a child …….

Source: https://www.kentlive.news/whats-on/whats-on-news/singing-karaoke-good-childrens-bodies-6325791