James from The Warblers: “It’s a safe space”

Coming together with people who have had similar experiences can make a big difference, especially when singing is involved!

We recently spoke with James from The Warblers. They promote lung health and general wellbeing by providing singing for lung health groups for people who experience breathing difficulties. The sessions are led by experienced song leaders, with James leading the group in Midlothian.

Here James shares a bit about how he got involved and the difference music and community singing can make to our wellbeing.

The Warblers was started in 2016 by a wonderful lady called Jane Lewis. She is a community song leader and songwriter who has worked a lot with choirs. Jane undertook a Singing for Lung Health training programme.

How do the sessions work?

We work with people who experience a wide range of breathing difficulties. We meet on Tuesday afternoons in the church hall of St John’s and King’s Park Church in Dalkeith, and we have about 25 people who come along.

The sessions begin with a series of warm-up exercises: warming up the body with gentle physical activities, followed by some specific breathing exercises and then finally warming up the voice. And that’s a very important part of it, rather than just going straight into singing songs.

Following this, we then sing a variety of songs that have been tailored for people who have breathing difficulties in terms of the pitch and the phrasing, just so that it’s going to be accessible for our participants to sing these songs.

What’s special about the sessions?

It’s a safe space. In another choir, perhaps, people might feel slightly vulnerable or concerned that they’ll start coughing; in The Warblers this is just fine; everyone understands. When people come for the first time they might say “I can’t sing,” but they soon quickly find commonality between everyone.

Quite often, people who attend our sessions are maybe feeling slightly isolated or anxious, and it’s a chance for them to be with people who are living similar life experiences to themselves. There are huge psychological and emotional advantages to singing as well as the physical benefits in helping them with their breathing. We have great fun as well as working hard.

Why did I get involved?

I’ve always enjoyed working with choirs, either singing in choirs or conducting choirs it’s been a big part of my musical life. When I saw that the Singing for Lung Health course was being offered it just seemed to bring these two passions together. It is that feeling of noticing how people are immediately breathing better. And at the end of a session they do say they feel physically and emotionally better.

How do I look after my own mental health?

I like to keep looking for creative opportunities in life, and to keep learning, to keep being open and curious.

I think mental health parallels with physical health and keeping active. I love cycling, yoga, and keeping physically active is helping my mental and physical health.

What do participants say?

• “The Warblers has had a massively positive effect on me mentally, emotionally, and also physically.”
• “Not only does it help my breathing, it’s lovely to speak to other people who are going through the same as me.”

Find out more about The Warblers on Midspace.