Advent/Christmas Season
is a Great Thing
David Jordan
1. Food
a. It’s called synchronous activity. These are actions you take together with others, where everyone is doing the same thing at the same time in physical proximity to one another. Dancing, singing and chanting in time as a group are all examples of synchronous activity. This promotes bonding and therefore helps the group survive. Mirror neurons are involved in synchronous activity and there is a certain type of happiness that humans can’t get any other way than engaging in synchronous activity.
b. Yes, we do have to work on Synchronicity at times to get all the parts together, on the first beat, but the more we do together the happier we’ll be.
c. This is one of the many benefits that choirs have contributed to the church body.
3.People are happier when they’re busy.
Truly we are, and there have been many studies on this subject to prove this idea. Of course, being over-burdened is not great. However, there’s a lot we can and want to do before we get too busy.
Did I mention food? Remember, the Chocolate Season starts on All Saints Eve and goes through Easter.
4.
a.Valorie Salimpoor (2011) and her team conducted research that shows that listening to music can release the neurotransmitter dopamine. Even anticipating music can release dopamine.
b.People have favorite music that induces euphoria. Be aware of that.
c. Anticipating the pleasurable parts of music activates different areas of the brain and neurotransmitters than actually listening to and experiencing the music.
d.Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain's reward and pleasure centers. Dopamine also helps regulate movement and emotional responses, and it enables us not only to see rewards, but to take action to move toward them.
a.Of course I would highly recommend that you do help them actually achieve it.
b. If you want people to join your community, choir, body, you might find that people put more value on it if there are steps that have to be taken to join. Filling out an application, meeting certain criteria, being invited by others -- all of these can be seen as barriers to entry but they may also mean that the people who do join, are going to care more about the group.
6. People are more motivated as they get closer to a goal.
a.The goal-gradient effect says that you will accelerate your behavior as you progress closer to your goal.
b. People focus on what’s left more than what’s completed. People are focused on what’s left to accomplish. Perfect for advent/Christmas concerts and special services. The shorter distance to the goal the more motivated people are to reach it. People are even more motivated when the end is in sight.
7.People are more motivated by intrinsic rewards than extrinsic rewards.
a. People want to the experience of learning and improving.
b.They are motivated when what they are doing helps connect with other people.
c. Heuristic work assumes the work itself provides intrinsic motivation through a sense of accomplishment.
I hope this will give a different perspective on what we often experience as just overwhelming. During the next several weeks, look for ways to create a more robust and excited choir, church, community, entity of MIPs (Musically Important People). People that are looking forward to every moment of participation in this glorious season.
Have a very Merry Christmas and Thank You.