Page 13 - OASC April 2021 Newsletter

Shower Curtain Concerts...
“Eighty-nine percent more shower users say they sing in the shower than bathers,” according to a 2016 survey by American Standard, reports Cision. “Forty-four percent more women than men say they sing in the shower.”
Why do you sound better in the shower? Because your voice bounces back and forth in the small space confined by better acoustics. Musician’s Friend.com explained it this way: The small dimensions and hard surfaces of a typical bathroom produce various kinds of standing waves, reverberation and echoes, giving the voice “fullness and depth.” Depending on the shape of your shower stall, the sound waves linger, vibrating at about 100 times per second, which makes the voice sound deeper, and enhances the bass.
There are documented health benefits to your shower solos. Studies show that singing in the shower dampens your levels of cortisol, a hormone that can elevate your blood sugar and blood pressure and contribute to inflammation in the body. How does stress just wash away? You’re in a small, safe, warm and usually private environment, which boosts dopamine in the brain and thus your mood. You’re also taking in more oxygen, which improves blood circulation, and more humidity, which improves breathing.
Stomas like to ‘sing’ in the shower, too. Free of appliances and adhesives, many a stoma likes to blow bubbles and tootle away, at least if you’re lucky and that’s all they’re putting out!
So are there any stoma songs? Turns out there are quite a few, some light-hearted, some touching, some dark (e.g., in the hip hop genre).
STOMA SONGS
The next time you step behind the shower curtain, join in with some harmony of your own with an old favourite or your take on one of these tunes.
1. “We praise the colorectal surgeon Misunderstood and much maligned Slaving away in the heart of darkness Working where the sun don’t shine.”
Canadian comedy duo Bowser and Blue wrote that Gilbert and Sullivan-style song and first performed it for.... a rectal surgeons’ conference! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2gABYTmXos
2. “When I had my colonoscopy, I had a question on my mind. Do we all look the same when the doctor sees us from behind.”
Folk-singing legend Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul and Mary fame) recorded “The Colonoscopy Song,” a public health message for CBS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqvpfrnmJrg
3. “As a young boy, I was so embarrassed. I used to walk around with a colostomy bag on my side.”
Grammy-winning Gospel artist Damon Little included his ostomy experience in his inspirational song “Be Alright” https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=3jFWCwXaA-c . Little has stepped up to help the United Ostomy Association of America raise awareness that ostomy surgery can occur at any age and that ostomates can live full, healthy lives. https://www.ostomy.org/damonlittle/
4. “The Stoma Song” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFYri6ELcvs is a high-pitched tune created for young Zack, an ileostomate and huge fan of internet personality Tobuscus, whose Sideburns song inspired Zack’s song (https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=6TXWzlT02_s&list=PLiNKPiIGbJ6s1JersoJiWct93ud960492)
Singing any time releases endorphins and oxytocin in the brain, hormones that bring pleasure and relaxation and boost your immune response. So lean in, hang loose and stay healthy as you belt out your favourite tunes! n
April/21
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