Good or bad, I believe that everyone who is capable of speaking using their vocal chords can and should sing every day. I know there are different levels and talent of singing, and not everyone should be a professional. However, people are made to sing and many benefits come from singing. Singing helps people emotionally, physically and socially.

1. Anyone can sing.

Regardless of sound of voice, if you can talk, you can sing and singing makes you feel good.

According to Justin Stoney, the founder of New York Vocal Coaching in New York City, “The voice can be trained in just about everyone.” Furthermore, some people are born with better voices and learn more quickly, but if you really want to become good at singing, you just need to practice.

2. To express emotion.

Singing adds more to emotion than words can. If you were wondering why adults sing to babies and children, it is because they recognize voices much earlier than they recognize faces. The voice is a powerful instrument. Singing can reveal a lot about yourself as well.

3. To reduce stress.

Harvard and Yale Universities have confirmed that singing reduces stress by lowering the heart rate and encourages the release of mood-enhancing endorphins in the brain. When you sing you are also regulating your breathing, which promotes relaxation.

4. To stimulate the brain.

According to Aniruddh D. Patel, a researcher at Tufts University, “Music provides a way to access regions of the brain and reawaken autobiographical memory when language won’t.”

Basically, when you sing it activates parts in the brain associated with memory recall. So not matter what you sound like, singing does have benefits.

5. To improve physical health.

According to research, singing promotes a healthy heart, an enhanced mental state, gives your lungs a workout and boosts your immune system. In the article, Life Affirming Benefits of Singing, it states that "singing makes us breathe more deeply than many forms of strenuous exercise, so we take in more oxygen, improve aerobic capacity and experience a release of muscle tension as well."

6. To help build confidence.

Singing gives you the opportunity to step outside of your comfort zone. Whether it be singing in front of a group of people or in your room, singing boosts your self-esteem.

7. To connect to your soul.

Singing is a powerful tool of self-expression. Through music, lyrics and tone there are some songs that will resonate within you. To be able to sing them out loud is a great feeling.

8. Singing in groups is motivational.

Nick Stewart, from Oxford Brookes University, who led a research study in group singing stated, "People who sang in a choir had a stronger sense of being part of a meaningful group and there is a suggestion that there is something unique about the synchronicity of moving and breathing with other people.”

From singing in groups myself, I can attest that singing really does bring people together, and being able to create certain harmonies and tones with others is a wonderful experience.

9. Singing makes you happy.

When people sing, endorphins or the feel-good chemicals, are released in the brain. Singing makes us happy because it can bring us back to special memories and allow us to express ourselves. Most importantly, singing is fun. So whether you are on stage, in the car or singing in the shower, singing provides great benefits.