Motivational singing hits a high note

JORDAN MOSHE

But how much of an impact do these videos really have?

Last Wednesday, the South African Board of Jewish Education (SABJE) released #CountOnYou, a music video starring 33 teachers from across the 11 King David schools in recognition of their efforts.

“There are unsung heroes in this pandemic who need to be recognised,” says Daniella Nerwich, SABJE executive head of talent management. “The reopening of schools brought a whole new reality for all teachers, and the way they’ve adapted and taken to the challenge needs to be acknowledged.”

The video was released as a culmination of the SABJE’s campaign to celebrate its educators and acknowledge their tireless efforts. For almost a month, Nerwich and her co-producer, Nikki Richard, worked on the project, scouting out potential singers amongst the staff and compiling the final video.

“They’ve given of themselves and transformed themselves as teachers and people,” says Nerwich. “In the video, there’s a message about honouring teachers for their courage and compassion, something they’ve shown from day one of the pandemic.

“We had a diverse group of participants. Zulu teachers, maths teachers, even Grade R teachers came together in a complex process and produced something special. They were all given the song, and tasked with filming themselves within a teaching scene to recreate the feeling of their environment, and record themselves individually at home.”

To date, the video has had more than 7 400 views, and has garnered tremendous support from the King David community and beyond.

“People are expressing their appreciation for teachers. We’ve spread a positive contagion of acknowledgement,” says Nerwich. “We’ve been inundated with messages from principals and teachers thanking us for the acknowledgement. Parents have also been very moved, and appreciation for teachers is enhanced in the community.

“Negative things have been replaced with positive sentiments. The video has been shared so many times and has created such a boost for teachers and the broader Jewish community.”

Experts say that the trend of supportive music videos has cultural and psychological underpinnings.

Trend expert Bronwyn Williams says that videos like this are a natural evolution of the physical “celebrate essential workers” trend where people cat-call and parade in the streets and from balconies to “welcome home” essential shift workers.

“Natural evolution is that in our hyper-visual age, we film everything, and we share everything we film to improve our social status,” she says. “Social belonging and sharing videos supporting essential workers not only makes us look good, but also makes us feel good, like we are doing our bit, even if we are furloughed or working an obviously ‘inessential’ job.”

While they may all seem alike, she says most of the videos are viewed – depending on who posts them – and do have a positive impact.

“[The trend itself] may do less good than actually supporting healthcare workers financially and physically [by engaging in socially responsible behaviour], but the videos do make people feel valued. Depending on the message, some can serve a social good by raising awareness of social issues like the importance of mask wearing or raising funds for a cause, but the social-good component depends on the individual creator and content.”

The psychological impact of these videos is also considerable, says psychologist David Abrahamsohn.

“The situation we all find ourselves in is complicated and filled with anxiety and uncertainty,” he says. “These music videos are about creating happiness in people’s lives, a moment of togetherness, even though we are physically apart.

“It’s clear that music is a powerful way to boost mood and foster a sense of community. The sense of community and togetherness is one of the most important factors that’s going to get us all through this.”

Abrahamsohn says that most people have an intuitive understanding of the power of music, and there is now considerable scientific research to confirm this. “Music can be a powerful resource for the human spirit,” he says. “Music connects us, and moves us physically and emotionally. It gives us strength in difficult times, and inspires us in times of challenge.

“Music provides a medium for personal expression that can enhance healing and empowerment. It allows individuals to express themselves, gain awareness of their emotions, and make connections with others”.

It’s no surprise that at this uncertain time we are turning to music to make ourselves feel better, says Abrahamsohn, with numerous studies showing that music has the power to boost our mood, even to raise our pain threshold.

“Listening to music has the power to release endorphins and dopamine, neurotransmitters which are responsible for helping us to experience pleasure and enjoyment,” he says. “It’s not just the mood boosting benefits of singing which are fuelling the rise of the communal singing movement in the coronavirus period. Music has a long history of bringing people together and promoting a sense of community.

“Singing can make us feel closer, even in large groups where people don’t know each other well.”

Abrahamson says singing in groups (even when apart) has even more beneficial effects because of the social interaction which comes with it, which results in feelings of togetherness.

“It reduces the feelings of isolation,” he says. “So, it’s no surprise that the trend has spread all over the world.”