From an emotional perspective, singing karaoke is a great experience because you just get to sing and have fun. But, singing karaoke at a bar or party with friends is one thing, and doing it on stage in front of people is another entirely. It’s that one extra layer of vulnerability that creates the biggest increase in feel-good hormones: dopamine and oxytocin.
Dopamine & Oxytocin: Music Changes Your Brain Chemistry
The neurotransmitter dopamine is released when we do something exciting or pleasurable, such as listening to music that we love or doing something stimulating. It makes us feel good about ourselves and our actions – and motivates us to repeat them again – which could be very beneficial for others who are trying out karaoke for the first time!
The hormone oxytocin has many functions throughout our bodies depending on where it’s released; but for our purposes here, it’s going to help you focus intently while singing karaoke. Oxytocin stimulates sociality by prompting trust between individuals and helping facilitate healthy relationships by bolstering our ability to cope with stressors like confrontation or rejection. By releasing this hormone during times of high stress (like performing for people), it helps keep us calm throughout the performance so we don’t run away and face our fears. The increased confidence we gain from knowing we have support from others goes a long way toward reinforcing positive behaviors rather than looking upon them negatively later down the road.
Singing Karaoke publicly can be an intimidating experience for some people. They may feel the need to live up to their own expectations or those of others who are listening. There’s a lot of discussion about how singing or playing an instrument, and performing in general, is good for your brain. To summarize, it triggers the production of dopamine and oxytocin. Even if you’re not Mariah Carey, it’s all about having fun.
*This article was generated with AI and edited with human hands.*
