1 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:07,080 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff from How Stuff Works. Hey, brain Stuff, 2 00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:09,120 Speaker 1: I'm Lauren vogel Bomb, and I think we can all 3 00:00:09,119 --> 00:00:11,479 Speaker 1: admit that we've pulled a Ferris Bueller once or twice 4 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:14,920 Speaker 1: while lathered up in the shower. Everyone sometimes grabs a 5 00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 1: handy bottle of shampoo as an improv microphone and busts 6 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:20,919 Speaker 1: out a tune or two. There's just something completely satisfying 7 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 1: about singing in the shower. Even celebrities do it. According 8 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 1: to People magazine, actor Jack Black likes to belt out 9 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:30,280 Speaker 1: led Zeppelin and why Cleff Sean digs a little Bruce Springsteen. 10 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 1: Everyone's a rock star in the bathroom, whether you have 11 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:35,519 Speaker 1: a voice like a Wreatha Franklin or couldn't carry a 12 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:38,680 Speaker 1: melody if it had a handle. But have you ever 13 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 1: wondered about this phenomenon? Some of us wouldn't sing in 14 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:43,640 Speaker 1: public if someone paid us, yet will sing in the 15 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:46,879 Speaker 1: shower without embarrassment. Believe it or not, there is a 16 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 1: scientific explanation behind our soapy musical stylings. First, let's look 17 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 1: at why we're relaxed enough in the shower to bust 18 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 1: into song. Think about it. You don't sing when you're sad, 19 00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:00,160 Speaker 1: unless you're singing the blues. Maybe for many people, our 20 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 1: time is the only time there alone all day. You're 21 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 1: in a warm, small, safe environment. You're comfortable enough to 22 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:09,319 Speaker 1: be in the buff Stress literally washes off of you. 23 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:12,680 Speaker 1: When you relax. Your brain releases dopamine, which can give 24 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:15,760 Speaker 1: your creative juice as a jump start. Warm water is 25 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:18,400 Speaker 1: rushing over you, and now you're relaxed and feeling good. 26 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:21,199 Speaker 1: It turns out that singing makes you feel even better. 27 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 1: Singing because of the breathing that you put into it, 28 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:27,319 Speaker 1: gets more oxygen into the blood. This gives you better circulation, 29 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:30,840 Speaker 1: which in turn improves your body and mood. And because 30 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:32,679 Speaker 1: you have to breathe a little deeper to belt out 31 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: a song, you get some of the same relaxation and 32 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:39,000 Speaker 1: mind clearing benefits as meditation. Another neat thing is that 33 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:41,440 Speaker 1: when you're singing, you can't really think about your problems. 34 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:45,000 Speaker 1: More stress relief. But the best thing about singing in 35 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:48,200 Speaker 1: the shower the acoustics. You couldn't ask for a better 36 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 1: sound system than a bathroom. Because bathroom tiles don't absorb sound, 37 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 1: your voice bounces back and forth around the room before 38 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 1: fading away, and because the shower is a small space. 39 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:00,560 Speaker 1: It boosts your voice and even adds a little bass, 40 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:04,720 Speaker 1: making your singing sound more powerful. Sound bouncing also gives 41 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:07,640 Speaker 1: your vocal styling a reverb effect, which makes your voice 42 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: hang in the air longer and evens out variations and 43 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:13,080 Speaker 1: your singing. To think of it as a primitive auto tune. 44 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:15,680 Speaker 1: It makes you sound better than you normally would, which 45 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 1: is a confidence boost. We don't sing in the shower 46 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:21,480 Speaker 1: simply because we have that song stuck in our heads, 47 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 1: you know the one. It turns out, we do it 48 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:27,760 Speaker 1: for many reasons, stress relief, happiness, great acoustics, or maybe 49 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:30,160 Speaker 1: just because we like to hear our own voices. No 50 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:32,480 Speaker 1: matter what the reason, keep it up. It's good for 51 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:34,520 Speaker 1: you and if you've never tried to pick a song 52 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:41,799 Speaker 1: and put on your own private concert. Today's episode was 53 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:44,400 Speaker 1: written by Debora Ranka and produced by Tyler Clang. For 54 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:46,280 Speaker 1: more on this and lots of other rock and topics, 55 00:02:46,400 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 1: visit our home planet, how Stuff Works dot com.