SingWell Project
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Helping people harness the power of group singing to promote wellbeing and communication 🎶
The SingWell Project is an international research project exploring group singing as one potential strategy to address psychosocial wellbeing, communication, and health issues in older adulthood. SingWell is a SSHRC funded project that unites over 50 researchers, practitioners, community organizations, and choirs in Canada and around the world.
SingWell is growing. 💛
For more than 15 years, we’ve been studying what happens when people sing together.
We’ve made serious strides in the science behind group singing — studying its effects on areas from stress, mood, and self-esteem to brain health, immune support, speech and hearing abilities and more.
And we’ve heard countless stories from participants about what it means to have a place where you can show up as you are and feel part of something.
Now, we want to bring those opportunities to more people.
We’re excited to announce that SingWell is expanding to include community programming — offering group singing opportunities designed to support wellbeing, healthy aging, and social connectedness 🎉
We want singing together to be as accessible as going to a yoga or aquafit class.
We want to see singing in more community spaces across Canada.
We want to see singing on prescription.
And we want everyone to know: you do not have to be a “singer” to belong.
At a SingWell group, “bad” singing is encouraged. Different abilities and comfort levels are welcomed. And performance takes a backseat to the science of music, happiness and connection.
We’ll be sharing more soon about where you can find SingWell programming. If you think a SingWell group could make a difference in your organization or community, we’d love to hear from you.
🔗 Learn more at the link in bio or at SingWell.ca/Programs
What’s it like joining a singing group for Parkinson’s?
Marion shares the perspective of a Parkinson’s care partner. After seeing a flyer for a SingWell research study on singing & Parkinson’s, her late husband Frank ended up joining a singing group specifically for people with Parkinson’s.
What he found was a place free of judgment, an opportunity for connection and mutual support, and the many joys of singing and shared music making. Marion got to connect with other caregivers who traded baked goods and perspectives on supporting a loved one with Parkinson’s.
Marion and Frank’s experience shows just a few of the reasons why SingWell is working to make group singing a regular part of community life. Singing is truly for everyone, and it’s powerful when we do it together.
🔗 Learn more about what group singing can do for people with Parkinson’s at SingWell.ca/Parkinsons
06/19/2026
⚽ Did Canada’s win bring you to tears… or perhaps, to song? For the SingWell team, watching FIFA has an added layer of intrigue:
The group identity fans feel may have a lot to do with the singing and chanting that are central to football culture around the world.
The mechanisms at play when we sing together — synchrony, mood boosts, physiological changes — help explain why singing appears so reliably in moments of shared identity, from ceremonies and protests to packed stadiums.
So if you’re watching the match with others… sing loudly 💙🎶
05/12/2026
Why is group singing such a powerful tool for wellbeing in older adulthood?
In this study, SingWell researchers explored how group singing affects wellbeing across biological, psychological, and social domains by following two community choirs — one for healthy aging older adults, and one for people with Parkinson’s.
One of the most important findings: the benefits people experienced had nothing to do with how they assessed their own singing ability.
The power of group singing comes from participation, not performance. And it’s an activity that people with different physical abilities can continue to do as they age.
Science continues to shed light on how this ancient practice supports wellbeing from multiple angles at once. Swipe through for key findings and what it means for healthy aging ➡️
Happy !
There’s so much we want to highlight about how central the voice is to wellbeing, and how group singing supports this relationship.
But since it’s also Parkinson’s Awareness Month, today we are spotlighting one clear example: How singing can improve vocal communication for people with Parkinson’s disease.
In the words of one Parkinson’s singing group participant: “Parkinson’s kind of gives rise to introversion. You start to withdraw because you can’t relate, but if you’ve got a strong voice, you can overcome that.”
Want to learn more about how group singing can support vocal, breathing, respiratory, and psychosocial outcomes for people with PD? Our latest SingWell resource synthesizes the research in an accessible way and showcases singing groups for people with PD online and across Canada. Check it out at ⭐️Singwell.ca/Parkinsons⭐️
04/10/2026
For many people living with Parkinson’s disease, changes in movement are only part of the picture.
Parkinson’s can also affect the voice, breathing, and swallowing — making it harder to speak clearly, feel steady in the breath, or eat and drink with ease. Over time, these changes can shape how people connect with others, express themselves, and move through the world.
Singing with others engages these systems together — bringing voice, breath, body, and social connection into a single shared activity.
Ahead of World Parkinson’s Day, we’re pleased to share a new resource to help more people with PD tap into these benefits. It synthesizes the research in an accessible way for people with PD and those who support them. If you’re curious about:
➤ The range of benefits group singing can support for PD and how they work
➤ What a singing group for people with Parkinson’s actually looks like
➤ How to find a singing group near you
We’ve brought these pieces together here: singwell.ca/parkinsons
Many people living with Parkinson’s have experienced these benefits firsthand, and we hope many more will as awareness and access to group singing continues to grow. Please share this resource with others in your network who might find it useful! 🎶
03/26/2026
🗣️ What if healthcare included how people connect and use their voices?
Research continues to shed light on why group singing is one of the oldest human activities we know of — as well as how it can help address modern challenges like loneliness and strained healthcare systems.
On Social Prescribing Day, we’re highlighting the role group singing can play in supporting health holistically. Through initiatives like Singing on Prescription with , we’re exploring how singing can strengthen existing care pathways and extend support beyond clinical settings.
03/10/2026
Saliva contains a wide range of hormones — including cortisol (the body’s primary stress hormone) and oxytocin (which plays a key role in social bonding).
By measuring the levels of these hormones in people’s saliva before and after singing, we can link people’s self-assessments of group singing’s positive effects with observable physiological change. 📈
Swipe for more on what we’ve learned from saliva 🧪
03/03/2026
🧐 Choirs for hearing loss?
Yes, they exist. Barbara talks about how joining a singing group led by SingWell facilitator Sina Fallah () helped her navigate the challenges posed by hearing loss — and what made the choir feel joyful and accessible to different abilities.
Her experience reminds us of the many elements that make up strong communication. Evidence shows that active, socially engaging practices like singing with others can help people practice the skills that support everyday connection.
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