Andrew Eccles/Decca Records
When renowned soprano Renée Fleming found herself struggling with performance pressures and bouts of stage fright, she began searching for solutions; along the way, she discovered the fascinating interdisciplinary field of neuroarts.
An emerging area of study, neuroarts explores how the arts affect the mind and body – inspiring Fleming to publish her 2024 anthology, Music and Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness, and become one of the world’s most prominent advocates for such research.
“I thought that audiences would be fascinated by these things too, and it’s been true, it’s really grown,” says Fleming.
Now, she brings that conversation to New Albany this April, pairing a performance at the McCoy Center for the Arts and a Music and Mind lecture alongside The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center CEO Dr. John J. Warner to underscore the growing notion that music is more than art – it’s medicine.
The science of singing
Within the neuroarts field, music has emerged as one of the most closely studied artistic experiences. Research shows that listening to music and singing offer a wide range of both physical and mental health benefits.
Renee Fleming
Fleming presents at University of Calgary
According to New Albany Symphony Orchestra (NASO) Chorus Director Dr. Michael G. Martin, singing can improve longevity by strengthening cardiovascular and respiratory health, reducing stress and anxiety, improving posture and balance, and even alleviating chronic pain. It also works core muscles, engages the nervous system, improves mood and boosts immune health and cognition.
For many people such as Martin himself, singing also provides an avenue through which to heal.
“I was in the process of writing a Christmas cantata when my dad passed away, and it helped me heal from that. When my mother passed away, I wrote a piece based on a requiem and that was cathartic,” says Martin.
Both Martin and Dr. Amy Arnett Budzik, a member of the NASO Chorus and emergency physician, also emphasize the social-emotional benefits of singing with a group.
Renee Fleming
Fleming speaks at the National Institutes of Health J. Edward Rall Cultural Lecture
“Singing is very personal, your instrument is your body, so there’s a connection there, but also a connection with the group,” Arnett says. “There’s something about singing harmonies, the combination of voices and the instruments playing that is really, very moving… Music connects people universally.”
Fleming herself attests to the power of singing together, noting that she makes sure she and her audience sing together at least once or twice per performance.
While group singing is mutually beneficial for people of all ages, Martin says it can be especially rewarding for older individuals, offering a family-like support group, an easy way to exercise and a fun way to continue being involved in the community.
“It’s rewarding to see the friendships that are made,” says Martin. “It gives you a sense of purpose, and, overall, singing makes you happier.”
Renee Fleming
Prescribing the arts
In medical and therapeutic settings, music and singing are showing particular promise as a complementary approach to traditional care.
According to NASO Founder and Executive Director Heather Garner, singing and rhythm are being utilized to help stroke patients learn how to talk and walk again as well as to help patients who have suffered heart attacks regain lung strength through accessible aerobic activity.
Additionally, for individuals with PTSD, singing can regulate stress response and foster emotional expression. For those living with dementia or Alzheimer’s, it can access preserved memory pathways to support communication and reduce agitation. And for those on the autism spectrum, singing can provide a structured form of expression when communication through spoken language is limited.
Mind and Music has helped push this research to the forefront of public and medical conversation, and as someone who has both read Fleming’s book and seen the therapeutic capabilities of music first-hand, Arnett is excited to see the neuroarts field gaining traction.
“People aren’t necessarily aware of the connections between music and medicine, and I think that’s the point of the book. So, it’s great seeing this research being funded and given weight, and seeing people integrate it into different spaces knowing it has a profound effect,” Arnett says.
Renee Fleming
Music matters
As research continues to reveal the measurable connections between music and health, experts share an important reminder: the true power of music lies in its accessibility. Whether through listening, playing an instrument or singing in a community choir, music provides a low-barrier and human-centered way for individuals and medical professionals to support physical, emotional and cognitive well-being in themselves and others.
“If you think about it in terms of human history and its entirety, artistic expression and communication has been part of our development since almost the very beginning,” says Fleming. “That’s why it’s still so powerful.”
Ella Jay is an assistant editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at ejay@cityscenemediagroup.com.
