As my long-suffering children will tell you, I love to sing. I sing all the time. It’s something that’s always been a huge part of my life - from growing up in Wales (where we all do it!), to working eight shows a week in musical theatre, to founding Perform -  I’ve always been lucky enough to incorporate my love for singing into my working life.

One summer, I had bronchitis and I couldn’t sing for a few weeks. For me, it was the worst bit of being ill. It’s such a big part of my daily routine and William James' words ‘I don’t sing because I’m happy, I’m happy because I sing’ certainly ring true for me.

My brother sent me this piece about a free singing group in Bristol supported by The British Lung Foundation that’s designed to help lung health and breathing. I think it's fantastic that they’re using such a joyful activity as a way of creating real health benefits.

The more I’ve explored the pros of singing, the more fascinating articles I’ve been able to find. Did you know that singing has been shown to strengthen the immune system Improve your posture? Release endorphins And broaden communication skills This interesting article gives a great roundup of the perks. 

I’m so glad that singing is a part of my life and, importantly, a part of my children’s lives too - even though they may not appreciate it yet! I love hearing from parents how their children sing our songs at home, sing along to our CDs and know all the words by heart. Sometimes they complain to me that their children ‘won’t stop singing’ one of our songs but it’s always with a smile on their face because, as parents, we all know we wouldn’t have it any other way. In the words of Ella Fitzgerald, I believe ‘The only thing better than singing is more singing’.