Women's Chant Group: Singing from our Souls

This paper is an exploration of the potential benefits of an all-women’s chant group. A mixed-methods study using a Community Music Therapy approach informed by Feminist Music Therapy Theory sheds light on the questions: How are individuals’ resilience affected by participation in a multi-session Women’s Chant Group? How does participation in a single-session Women’s Chant Group affect an individual’s mood? Which elements of a Women’s Chant Group are perceived to be the most important to the participants? No statistical significance was found in participants’ resiliency from the beginning to end of the study, although a higher sample size may yield more promising results. The Women’s Chant Group sessions demonstrated a considerable positive impact on the mood of the participants, specifically in reducing feelings of anxiety and increasing feelings of relaxation. Participants found the experience of creating aesthetic, complex, high-quality vocal music to be the most important element of the Women’s Chant Group. Recommendations are made for future research into the area of Women’s Chant Groups.