The Joy of Singing

“...music, and listening to music, (lights) up the entire brain, from our prefrontal cortex all the way back to our cerebellum....” “The beauty of music has the ability to talk where words fail."

--Roberta Gupta TED Talks, March 2010 and October 2012

Buried in the alto section my best range is in the key of C, but mostly I straddle two octaves in any key and can’t get the high notes in one or the low notes in another. I’ve sung in the Temple Israel choir for years, and this semester I’m taking a six week singing course offered through Osher Lifelong Learning at the University of the Pacific. The teacher is a fabulous choral director, but this course isn’t about performance. It’s only about singing together: singing songs from popular musicals, spiritual songs, Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree kind of songs. I’m learning how to shape notes and diction and some music theory, and now I know I'm getting to light up my entire brain two hours a week!

Baruch ata adonai...I am so grateful for the synchronicity in my universe. Wednesday my first ever singing course and Saturday hearing Robert Gupta talk about music and medicine. I knew I was going to have fun singing. Now I know I’m going to change my brain. Thank you. Amen