I had a meeting at the Indooroopilly Activity Centre on Friday to talk about Bris West Connect. (For those who don’t know, the Indooroopilly Activity Centre is across the road from Indooroopilly Shopping Centre going towards Maccas (and part of Keating park).)
I arrived about 18 minutes early at the community centre and the door was shut. Inside the building there was a group is people … doing something! So I decided to wait outside. While waiting, a gentleman came out and introduced himself and invited me in.
They were singing! A karaoke choir of sorts, singing songs from the Beatles, Carpenters, Everly Brothers, Petula Clark, and others. Many were sitting in chairs, tapping along to the beat with their feet or hands, paying attention to the lyrics on the screen and singing along.
I couldn’t not join in?
For the next while, I was singing along with a bunch of strangers to songs that are (or were) so familiar. Songs I can remember include “8 days a week“, “Colour my world“, and “Bye bye love“.
And I had fun. Who knew?!? (Singing has also been shown to improve our sense of happiness and wellbeing. Research has found, for example, that people feel more positive after actively singing than they do after passively listening to music or after chatting about positive life events.)
This is one of the many activities that take place in this centre. There are plenty of other activities that one could take part in. There are walking groups, board games, music nights, and a whole bunch more. Because all of the groups are led by volunteers, there can be times of the year when a group is not active. The best way to find out what activities are taking place is to check their Facebook page or send an email to the Centre.
STAY CONNECTED to help reduce loneliness and social isolation
References
https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-singing#benefits