The Chorus Impact Study: Singing for a Lifetime

June 26, 2019

Singing in a chorus has a powerfully positive impact on people across generations, as well as on the communities in which they live. 

The Chorus Impact Study: Singing for a Lifetime, released in June 2019, builds on previous Chorus Impact Study data about choral singers, and, for the first time, looks in-depth at the role that singing plays in the lives of older adults. 

The new research shows that choral singing in America is stronger than ever, with more than 54 million Americans singing in choruses. The percentage of Americans singing has also risen over the past decade, up to 17% from 14% in 2008.

These numbers are good news, because choruses play an important role in individual's lives and in our society. As with our past Chorus Impact studies, the research finds that people who sing experience personal benefits and are more likely to contribute to their communities. 

Chorus Impact Study Resources & Tools

About the Study:

The Chorus Impact Study: Singing for a Lifetime was conducted by leading research firm Grunwald Associates, the organization that previously conducted the 2009 study. Researchers did online surveys with more than 5,700 choral singers, including more than 1,800 singers ages 62 and older. They additionally surveyed 500 members of the general public and 600 members of the general public ages 62 and older for comparison.

Study Funders:

The Chorus Impact Study: Singing for a Lifetime was made possible through lead support from the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), the Katherine B. Andersen Fund of the Saint Paul Foundations, the NAMM Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. This project was also supported by the Cincinnati May Festival Chorus, the San Francisco Girl's Chorus, The Choral Arts Society of Washington, the Colorado Children's Chorale, Encore Creativity for Older Adults, Indianapolis Children's Choir, and Kirkwood Baptist Church.