Whether on a once-off or regular basis, Global Harmonies singing can provide a way to get teams in the public, private or non-for-profit sectors to “sing from the same hymn sheet”.
What is provided?
Global Harmonies can provide
- Short conference openers/closers which energise and connect everyone
- Once-off team building singing sessions
- On-going team building sessions
A minimum of 8 participants is optimal, and there is no upper limit on numbers. Participants do not have to be good singers to take part. No equipment is needed for these sessions, and all ages and are welcome. There is no sight-singing and all songs are taught orally. Each session starts with fun and confidence building ice-breakers, yoga-like stretches, breathing exercises and vocal warm-ups. A variety of songs from various cultural traditions are taught, with the emphasis on fun, movement, self-expression and creativity. Invariably, as a group of individuals transforms itself into an ‘instant choir’, and participants are amazed at being able to find their own voice and contribute to creating a beautiful harmonious whole, people are inspired, energised and rejuvenated.
What are the benefits of singing?
It is now being discovered that people who sing regularly are happier, healthier and live longer than non-singers. Group singing has been scientifically proven to lower stress (lowering cortisol production), relieve anxiety, and elevate endorphins. It is energising and calming at the same time. Amazingly, the ‘love’ hormone, ‘oxytocin’, which helps people bond with one another, is released during group singing. It is also reported that heart beats also synch up when people sing together! These are some of the reasons that feelings of trust and closeness are often reported after singing with others.
How can it help my organisation?
Many workplaces are stressful places, with deadlines, hierarchies and competition. Singing helps to counter-balance this stress and ultimately enhance productivity, creativity and confidence in the workplace. Staff can switch ‘mode’, express more of their full selves, cooperate more and learn to listen to one another. It has huge physical and mental health benefits for the individual as well as being proven to help people come together as teams, enhancing communication and helping teams to problem solve better.
Whether you need to get new staff integrated, to familiarise people in different areas of an organisation with each other, enhance morale, to help an organisation recover from a challenge, or just to reduce stress levels, Global Harmonies singing can provide results.
Feedback from previous participants:
- “Very uplifting experience (getting oxygen into the system, exercising the voice; the warm-ups, which were mostly very enjoyable and creative)”.
- “I particularly like the positive boost singing together has on the interpersonal relationships between colleagues, and better group dynamics.”
- “It was my first time doing a singing course so I didn’t even know if I could sing, in the beginning I was singing quietly but with the teaching, and the people here, I felt I could be braver and braver and I loved that feeling”
- “For work purposes, it helps us with team building, better alignment (towards same goal, ie. Learning and singing the same songs), listening to each other, and literally ‘singing from the same hymn sheet’)”.
- “I am already considering how it could be used in our conferences”
- “The facilitator puts the participants at ease and concentrates on people using their voices regardless of ability – therefore the workshops were accessible to all and not in any way directed only at people who are “good singers”. Everybody had fun and felt confident in themselves and helped our event to finish on a note of high energy and optimism”.
Previous Team Building Clients:
Opener at the Tourism Ireland conference. A surprise for the 140 delegates who ended up singing and swaying in soaring harmonies within minutes.
European Foundation – Weekly sessions for 3 terms, working with self-selected staff members at lunch hour. 2008
St Vincent De Paul Team building session at an annual conference, 2011
Sisters of Charity International Reunion Singing session with 75 members of the religious order, on theme of intercultural dialogue. 2002
