Music & Singing
Music & Singing
We are all musical beings. Our lives are fuelled by rhythm, the rise and fall of our breath and our hearts beating in our chests. Human beings have been making music for millennia, dand there are even theories that singing was a precursor to speech in human development.
However, many of us have lost confidence in our ability to sing or make music. We may have been discouraged in our early lives, being told we can’t sing (or even being asked to mime in the school choir), or by an overly disciplined introduction to playing an instrument. Our culture encourages us to be passive consumers of music, audience members rather than active co-creators. Opportunities to participate, such as high profile talent shows, often involve competition or measurement against external criteria.
At Playful Nature we believe that singing and making music is for everyone – it is our birth right! And it is an integral part of living a happy healthy life.
Singing releases stress hormones like cortisol in your body and increases happy hormones such as oxytocin and endorphins, leaving you feeling happier and more relaxed.
Drumming has been shown to reduce stress and boost the immune system. It can even alter our brain activity, inducing increased alpha brain waves associated with meditation.
At Playful Nature we want to lure shy singers out of the shower to sing amongst the trees, by the river, round a campfire, with each other. To allow ourselves to sing ‘imperfectly’, for our voices to express a full reflection of human experience, from harmony and joy to chaos and sorrow. To unleash a more authentic, untamed voice, with an emphasis on how it feels rather than how it sounds.
“Thank you for such a beautiful evening! I had been getting nervous about it and singing in front of others but you made us feel at ease so quickly and the songs were lovely and easy to work with. There was such a great energy there this evening and I left feeling so much better than when I arrived – calm content and energised! Can’t wait for the next one”
If you can walk you can dance,
If you can talk you can sing
Zimbabwean Proverb
We invite people into circle together, to bang drums/pans/spoons, stamp their feet, move their bodies, shake, scrape, tap, using simple percussion instruments or whatever you can get your hands on! To experience the power that can come from many people playing simple parts from an instinctive and joyful place.
We create a safe and relaxed atmosphere for people of all levels of experience and confidence to enjoy music and singing. We offer African drumming courses, drum jams, Wild Voice workshops, Mountain River Sea Songs, and more…
For opportunities to connect with your musical self, see events page, join up to our mailing list and stay connected through Facebook.
