The Benefits of Choral Singing
Children who sing in choruses have academic success and gain valuable life skills.
Chorus America performed a study in 2009 of over 2800 singers, parents and educators to determine what value choral singing had on children. Several of the study’s major findings for young singers include:
Chorus America performed a study in 2009 of over 2800 singers, parents and educators to determine what value choral singing had on children. Several of the study’s major findings for young singers include:
- There are approximately 10.1 million American children singing in choruses today.
- The majority of parents surveyed believe multiple skills increased after their child joined a chorus. Seventy-one percent say their child has become more self-confident, 70% say their child’s self-discipline has improved, and 69% state their child’s memory skills have improved.
- More than 80% of educators surveyed—across multiple academic disciplines—agree with parent assessments that choir participation can enhance numerous aspects of a child’s social development and academic success.
- Educators also observe that children who sing are better participants in group activities, have better emotional expression, and exhibit better emotional management.
- Ninety percent of educators believe singing in a choir can keep some students engaged in school who might otherwise be lost—this is particularly true of educators (94%) who describe the ethnicity of their schools as diverse.
- Children who participate in a chorus get significantly better grades than children who have never sung in a choir. Forty-five percent of parents whose children sing state their child receives “all or mostly A’s” in mathematics (vs. 38% of non-choir parents) and 54% get “all or mostly A’s” in English and other language arts classes (vs. 43%).
Children who sing in a choir, play in an orchestra, or perform in a play are more likely to make good moral choices compared to their peers. This finding was the result of a study at the University of Birmingham involving 10,000 British children and 250 teachers. The study also concluded that participation in sports doesn't necessarily lead to better moral choices. The findings suggest that sports build character only when parents and coaches work to ensure that outcome. Children who go to church, get good grades, and have parents with a higher level of education also did better in the moral choices measure.