While previous research shows that group singing has clear benefits for wellbeing, there is limited data on how these benefits transfer to online singing groups. A common challenge in virtual settings is that high-latency audio delays are incompatible with collective music making. Therefore, many online singing groups use a format in which the facilitator is heard collectively, while participants are muted. Emergent technologies now offer low-latency audio options that enable group-singing participants to hear each other synchronously. In this mixed-methods study, we compared the physiological and emotional effects of participation in a facilitated online singing group comprised of participants with neurological conditions, care partners, and other older adults. We used both modalities in succession: high-latency muted audio and low-latency synchronous audio. We investigated how being heard and hearing each other modulates participant experience and wellbeing. We measured changes in participants’ mood, reported pain, and feelings of social connection via questionnaires administered before and after each session. Salivary samples were collected before and after selected sessions to monitor cortisol levels. Additionally, focus groups and individual interviews provided qualitative insights into participants’ experiences. Results indicated that online group singing in either format led to increases in positive mood and social connection. Notably, the synchronous audio sessions resulted in greater enhancements in social connection and a trend towards larger improvements in mood. Singing was associated with decreased self-reported pain and lower salivary cortisol, with no significant difference between the two platforms. Qualitative findings revealed that once technological barriers were addressed, hearing each other synchronously significantly enhanced social connection and musical enjoyment. Concomitantly, results also revealed benefits unique to the muted audio modality. This study contributes evidence that virtual group singing offers a viable format for those whose circumstances preclude in-person activities and highlights a spectrum of meaningful collective singing and social connection experiences.
Gaertner et al. (Thu,) studied this question.