Kelly Stewart, Stewart Academy of Performing Arts
Choir is much more than singing:
I started The Stewart Academy Choir six months ago because I wanted to extend my love for singing and music to the wider community and see if I could build a choir for grownups. Having taught children in different capacities over many years, I have seen the benefits that music and singing has, and believed I could bring something positive to the area.
It was astonishing to me how quickly the choir came together and how many amazing people now make up The Stewart Academy Choir. They make a beautiful sound and work really hard. They have performed all over the festive period at various events including two sold out shows at The Cecil Hepworth Play-house and were asked to perform at last year’s Spelthorne Business Awards.
Singing aside, getting to know 75 people has been a wonderful part of creating the choir. Every single member has joined the choir with their own unique story and their own unique reasons. I have been very touched by the personal stories members have told me and how choir has transformed their lives for the better.
Studies have shown that singing lowers corti-sol and relieves stress and tension. Endor-phins and oxytocin are released by the brain which lowers anxiety levels, enhances feel-ings of trust and bonding which in turn lowers feelings of depression and loneliness. Singing boosts confidence, increases self-esteem and improves energy levels. Singing provides a huge distraction from the mind’s stream of consciousness ensuring the individual only focuses on the present moment such as breathing or lyrics. This has such strong phys-ical and mental health benefits.
It has been quite overwhelming listening to the positive effects that choir has had on the members. There are people going through such challenging times and knowing that singing and being part of this little community is helping them means everything to me. Each member has a story to tell, each member has come to choir because they have been search-ing for something unique that they can be a part of and reconnect with parts of themselves that may have become neglected over time. Whether the members used to sing as children, like to sing in the car or have simply always wanted to give it a go, this choir is for absolutely everyone.
The Stewart Academy Choir is more than a singing group. It is a place to smile, laugh and chat. It is a place to connect with like minded people and become part of a caring communi-ty. It is a place to forget, a place to create and a place where, for one hour, the world stops and everything feels OK.
I knew I wanted to bring people together to sing but in creating the choir, it has become so much more than that. This choir is special. This choir is like a family- this choir is thera-py for the soul.
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Kelly@thestewartacademy.co.uk
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