Let's face it: Everyone loves to sing! Whether you only sing in your car or the shower, there's sure to be that one special melody you enjoy listening to throughout the day. The best part? This feel-good feeling you get from music doesn't go away, no matter how much older you get.
That's why karaoke is such a great music-centric activity for seniors. With the right setup, there are many mental and physical health benefits. Karaoke sessions help seniors break out of their shells and socialize with their community. It can also improve their mood and provide them with a much-needed serotonin boost.
Whether you're planning an event at a nursing home or a senior-friendly birthday party, we're here to help you make it a memorable moment for the senior singers.
Here's everything you need to know about karaoke for seniors.
The benefits of karaoke for senior citizens
Planning a weekly karaoke night at your local senior living facility? Are you looking for a fun-filled activity for the midweek assisted living community event? Maybe, you're simply trying to plan a karaoke-themed birthday for your grandparents. Regardless of the occasion, many proven mental and physical health benefits come with karaoke.
This includes:
Encourages socialization
The older you get, the more time you spend alone. With a karaoke night for seniors, you can help your loved ones socialize more and give them something to look forward to weekly or monthly. This is a great way to help them foster deeper connections with other individuals in their age group.
Improved mental health
Some studies suggest singing can help relieve anxiety and reduce stress levels in seniors. When we sing, our brains release endorphins and oxytocin. These "happy" chemicals can help lower stress levels and reduce anxiety.
With a weekly karaoke night for seniors, you can help seniors in your nursing home or assisted living with their stress management skills and give them something to look forward to weekly.
Mood booster
Singing your favorite song releases endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine. These "happy" chemicals boost confidence levels, improve mood, and can even provide a natural energy boost. So, don't be surprised if there's more pep in everyone's step after they take the stage!
Improved memory
As we age, our memory isn't what it once was. This makes it harder to think, remember, and reason. A study by the University of Helsinki shows that weekly music-centric activities can help individuals with mild to moderate dementia. This means you can think of your weekly or monthly karaoke nights for seniors as a weekly exercise for the brain!
Great source of entertainment
Let's face it. Singing karaoke is fun! It doesn't matter how old you are, true enjoyment comes from singing your favorite songs with your friends or family. Weekly or monthly karaoke nights give everyone in the senior living community something to look forward to. Karaoke nights will quickly become the best part of the week.
What you'll need for karaoke for seniors
If you're convinced a karaoke night is what the senior citizens in your life need, you've come to the right place.
If you're planning karaoke for seniors, you must have the proper equipment to plan and host a successful karaoke night.
Here's what you'll need to get started:
- Microphones: Consider investing in one or two microphones. You'll want to invest in a high-quality cordless or cord microphone that works with your setup.
- Mixer & Sound System: If you plan to host regular karaoke for seniors, you'll want to ensure you have a full-blown setup. You can either buy a professional mixer and sound system separately or invest in a karaoke machine with everything you need, like the NBVOICE 600W Karaoke Machine.
- TV: You'll need a TV, computer, or monitor to ensure everyone has a way to read the lyrics. If you're planning a karaoke night for seniors, you may consider using a larger screen to ensure they can properly read the lyrics.
- Software: Karaoke software ensures you have access to a library filled with classic hits seniors will love. With karaoke software like Singa, you can create senior citizen song playlists and provide everyone with a user-friendly interface.
- Tablet or Phone: A tablet or phone will make it easier for the seniors to queue up their songs and browse the library.
How to set up a karaoke room for the elderly
Let's say you work at a nursing home in your community. You regularly plan events for the community members to give them the chance to socialize and connect with other individuals. Whether it's a calendar of weekly or monthly events, karaoke for seniors is a great addition to consider adding to the mix. When planning the event, you want to have the following ready:
Set up a room
Karaoke for seniors works well in a confined space. This ensures that everyone can read the lyrics off the TV and the speakers are loud and heard throughout the room. Once you set up your equipment, you can switch Singa Business to Singa Karaoke Box Mode.
Singa Karaoke Box Mode is our new user-friendly interface for karaoke rooms. It has a new "play now or add to the queue" feature and genre and language filtering. This will make it easier for the singers to find, queue, and sing their favorite songs.
Pick a cadence
When planning your karaoke nights for seniors, you'll want to consider the frequency of the events. For example, maybe you host a weekly karaoke night every Sunday. This will help the seniors in your community prepare to take the stage and think about their song choices.
Once you pick a cadence, consider creating a flyer to hand out around the community or to hang up in the common space. This will ensure everyone knows about the karaoke night and can start prepping their singing voice!
Have a playlist ready
A pre-made playlist will make it easier for everyone to pick and choose which songs they want to sing. This will speed up the queue process and make using the karaoke software platform easier for the seniors to navigate. When creating a playlist, you want to pick songs your audience knows and loves. Get some ideas. from our list of over 100 best karaoke songs of all time.
Set a theme
Adding a theme to your karaoke night is a fun-filled way to get people to look forward to weekly or monthly karaoke nights. When planning a themed night, you want to make sure you pick something appropriate for your audience and that resonates with your audience.
For example, maybe one week you create a playlist filled with songs from the 50s and the next you do 70s. You can also encourage everyone to show up in their best-themed attire. Get creative, have fun, and watch the seniors in the room break out of their shells and have the time of their lives.
15 best karaoke songs for senior citizens
The secret to building a playlist for senior karaoke night? Focus on the classics! The classics remind them of the good ol' days and will leave them reminiscing all night about their youth.
While giving seniors the flexibility to pick and choose songs they want to sing will improve the experience, it never hurts to have a pre-made playlist readily available.
Here are 15 songs to consider adding to your playlist:
- My Girl – The Temptations
Sing My Girl here. - Take Me Home, Country Roads – John Denver
Sing Take Me Home, Country Roads here. - I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor
Sing I Will Survive here. - My Way - Frank Sinatra
Sing My Way here. - Jailhouse Rock - Elvis Presley
Sing Jailhouse Rock here. - I Walk The Line - Johnny Cash
Sing I Walk The Line here. - Friends in Low Places - Garth Brooks
Sing Friends in Low Places here. - I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) - Whitney Houston
Sing I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) here. - Hound Dog - Elvis Presley
Sing Hound Dog here. - ABC - The Jackson 5
Sing ABC here. - Dancing Queen - ABBA
Sing Dancing Queen here. - Moon River - Henry Mancini
Sing Moon River here. - You Are My Sunshine - Jimmie Davis
Sing You Are My Sunshine here. - Jolene - Dolly Parton
Sing Jolene here. - Crazy - Willie Nelson
Sing Crazy here.
Get setup with Singa for your next senior karaoke session
Karaoke is a fun-filled activity everyone can enjoy. It doesn't matter what the occasion is. With a karaoke setup, senior citizen songs, and karaoke software, you can plan the ultimate senior karaoke night.
Before planning your next karaoke night, you'll want to ensure you have software like Singa.
Singa is a karaoke app that can easily connect to your laptop, tablet, or cell phone. With a subscription to Singa, you'll unlock access to a huge library of songs, ensuring everyone at your next karaoke get-together has something to sing along to.
Click here to learn more about Singa!