Music is a workout for mind and body

 

Much research has been carried out about the mental and physical benefits of singing.

 

It lowers stress and anxiety levels, improves confidence and is a mindfulness activity, allowing the singer to live in the moment; it gives people self-belief, a sense of social inclusion and allows emotions to be expressed.

 

It can boost the immune system, is an aerobic exercise and can even alleviate pain.

 

‘It’s fun,’ exclaimed Sheena Dodman at the end of a practice with Oban Community Singers.

 

The group of 25-35 men and women meets every Monday at Glencruitten Church Hall Undercroft and is tutored by conductor Janet Fergusson.

 

Set up to entertain at Oban Winter Festival one year, the group enjoyed it so much, it asked Janet to continue, with members paying a small monthly fee to fund Janet and hall hire.

 

Janet chooses songs, from all genres, and the group sings in harmony and two parts, performing occasionally at events.

 

Sandra Munro said: ‘You come in on a Monday morning and you go out and you have laughed and you are smiling when you leave the hall. It is not necessarily that we are good singers, we just enjoy singing.’

 

‘We put a smile on their faces,’ jokes Stewart Smith about the men. ‘I get a buzz every Monday morning and a laugh and a carry on. Then we go for coffee across at the Bridge.’

 

‘Who would come into Oban at 10am on a Monday morning unless you did enjoy it?’ added Sheena. ‘Everyone is so friendly and here to enjoy themselves.’

 

"attachment_222203" "" "300"] Rhona Dougall in the Scratch Choir at Rockfield.

 

Despite the name, The Rockfield Centre’s Scratch Choir is not a performance choir. Every second Saturday of the month a song is taught by Rhona Dougall, from scratch in two hours, with the result informally videoed and posted on a Facebook page.

 

On a damp Saturday evening in October the The Kinks’ Waterloo Sunset floats out from a hut. Some dozen-or-so people are standing singing, some with a half empty wine glass in their hand, and the words are projected on the wall.

 

‘I just really enjoy it,’ said Lesley Duncan, during a sociable interval. ‘It is just a fun thing to do, to come and learn parts, different songs you probably already know, and put it all together and meet people and have a wee glass of wine.’

 

‘It’s only the second time I’ve been,’ said Andy Crabb. ‘I like singing but it is normally confined to where no-one can hear me, like in the shower. I know no-one is going to laugh at you, it is not a performance and there is a lot of tolerance to getting it wrong.’

 

Joyce Henderson, who has been attending for a couple of years, added: ‘I like the fact it is just one song and because you know it is different every time, it is not like you are rehearsing the same thing over and over. You don’t feel obliged to come every time.’

 

Music means different things to different people, either for listening to, singing to or dancing to.

 

Dancing has many of the same benefits of singing, with the physical benefit being a full body workout.

 

"attachment_222202" "" "300"] Rebecca McRitchie and Amie Williams at Oban Dance Academy's adult hip hop class.

 

Now in their mid-20s, Amie Williams and Rebecca McRitchie have come back to a love of dancing from their childhood, joining the adult hip hop class on Thursday evenings at Oban Dance Academy, owned and run by Pamela Moore.

 

Amie said: ‘I always wanted to get back into it but there was nothing about and then Pamela started this class. It makes you feel really good, you learn a lot of skills but also you make friends here so that makes you feel content and happy when you walk away from it too.’

 

Rebecca added: ‘You forget about the stresses of the day and feel your mood is so much more lifted.

 

‘It gives you a pause for the day and you are not just driving home thinking about work, you’ve had a break from work and definitely feel more relaxed when you get home.’

 

That sense of mindfulness and social inclusion can be found in a different type of performance, for those who feel they really cannot sing or dance. Val Hamilton has been a member of Benderloch and North Connel Drama Club, which has its own premises in Benderloch, since 1978.

 

‘People have often said, ‘Oh how can you do that, I couldn’t do that in front of people’,’ she said. ‘I am actually a very shy person by nature but when you are in a rehearsal or performing, you are not being yourself.’

 

Husband George, whom Val first dragged along to amateur dramatics in Dumbarton, added: ‘If you have had a hard day at work you can forget everything except what you are doing there; playing someone totally different.’

 

‘It is team building on all sorts of levels; emotional, intellectual and you all belong,’ added Val.

 

Contact and times:

 

Oban Community Singers: chairman Ken Oxland; 10am-11am Mondays, Glencruitten Church Centre Undercroft, Oban.

 

Scratch Choir: rhona@therockfieldcentre.org.uk; second Saturday of the month, The Rockfield Centre, Oban.

 

Adult Hip Hop: info@obandanceacademy.com or 07921012865; 6-6.45pm Thursdays Oban Dance Academy, Soroba Road, Oban.

 

Benderloch and North Connel Drama Club: www.facebook.com/Benderloch-North-Connel-Drama-Club-144716882258775/