‘It sounds dramatic – but singing class saved by life’

A woman claims a singing lesson saved her life by improving her breathing and improving her overall well-being.

Sarah McCubbin, 53, from Amesbury in Wiltshire, suffers from asthma and suffered type 2 respiratory failure, which causes a dangerous drop in blood oxygen levels, three years ago.

She is one of hundreds of people who found that taking part in a singing session improved their lung health and overall well-being, a report has revealed.

Ms McCubbin said that after a few months she noticed she could speak whole sentences without having to take a “deep breath” and that her anxiety had improved, adding: “It sounds dramatic, but it saved her life.”

She participates in the Sing and Breathe project, organized by Sounds Better CIC. This group offers weekly sessions across Wiltshire.

The organization released a report that found huge benefits for participants.

Bosses said “people have gone from not being able to walk very far or climb stairs to being more active with their grandchildren”.

Ms McCubbin said when she was released from hospital she was using a Zimmer frame and after a while she decided “no more”.

“It’s been three years since I started singing and I haven’t looked back since,” she said.

“It opened my eyes. I learned about rationed breathing. I started breathing more through my nose and using my stomach.”

Liv McLennan, Director of Sound Better CIC, said it’s common for many people, whether or not they have breathing difficulties, to “forget how to breathe most effectively.”

“[So] we gently reconnect people with their body and make them feel like they can use it more effectively,” she said.

“We saw huge changes: people went from not being able to walk very far or climb stairs to being more active with their grandchildren or children and walking miles. Some people were even able to reduce their use of inhalers.”

Ms McLennan said she hoped to expand the project to more areas in the future.