benefits of choir participation during adolescence

Many adolescents express interest in participating in choir. Research has explored the connection that students make between their identity and music from a variety of psychological, sociological, and social psychological perspectives (Mills 2010). In Campbell, Connell, and Beegle’s article, the study states that in every developmental stage from infancy to adulthood, music plays a valuable and valued role in the individual’s social-emotional and intellectual-artistic domains. Therefore, students in secondary school who are participating in choral ensembles may be motivated to join because participating in choral communities helps form their identities, in addition to the meaning and value that music ensembles bring to their personal lives (Adderly, Kennedy, and William Berz 2003). What does the research tell us about the adolescent student’s (ages 12-18) experience being part of a choir? What are the potential benefits of participating a choir?