Ravinia 2026 Issue 4

Sing Along with the Crowd – You Might Feel Even Happier After Today’s Show BY KATE HOGAN BERGER IF YOU’RE NEW to Ravinia, welcome! And if you’ve been here many times before, welcome back. Whether it’s visit number one or , as it turns out, being here is good for your mental health. And coming back to experience it again and again can be even better. According to Dr. Shira Gabriel, PhD, Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Bu alo, nding a place where one feels they belong—like Ravinia—“gives us this amazing sense that we’re socially embedded. You know how things work, and you have that sort of feeling you share with other people there. Maybe you recognize people who you don’t know, but whom you see frequently. at feeling is really important, because human beings have a strong need to feel as if we have a place in the broader world.” It’s part of why some music-lovers follow their favorite bands around to countless concerts. As Dr. Gabriel describes, knowing certain rituals that happen during speci c songs almost feels like an inside joke between you, the band, and the rest of the crowd. “ at links us to each other,” she explains, “and shows that we have a real bond.” at excited group energy is known as “collective e erves- cence,” a concept coined by sociologist Émile Durkheim in the s that psychologists still study today. According to Dr. Gabriel, music events are the number-one place where people experience this feeling, leaning into every note, every story, every new memory created by a beloved artist. However, it’s also okay if you’re not feeling e ervescent when you settle into your seat. “It can feel kind of lonely, if you’re looking around and everybody’s super into something and you’re not,” says Dr. Gabriel. “But know that there are oth- er people experiencing that feeling as well. And all of us have been in that circumstance where we go to something and it’s just not our thing, and maybe it’s weird to watch other people be super into it. But there’s no one event where every single person is going to feel it, every single moment.” To that end, she encourages all of us to try something new once in a while. “ e worst that can happen is that you won’t have a good time,” she shares. “And then maybe you’ll have a funny story about that terrible time you had! And later on you can tell people about the awful mistake you made when you thought you liked a certain kind of music and didn’t.” But try not to feel guilty about spending money on that “mistake,” she adds. “Sometimes people feel like they’re doing things like attend- ing a concert for momentary pleasure, and they o en feel bad about the money they’re spending,” she says. “But research re- ally suggests that these kinds of events are one of the best uses of the money we might have to spend on things, because they lead us to stronger increases in well-being than buying objects we might think of as making us happier.” Dr. Gabriel observes how our society o en dictates a path to satisfaction: marriage, kids, career, multiple friendships. “And there is no doubt that close relationships are an important part of happiness for many people,” she adds. “But if going to concerts and experiencing live events is important for you and makes you feel good, that’s not something you should feel bad about. Let go of the guilt around the ways that make you feel a social connection.” Dr. Shira Gabriel RAVINIAMAGAZINE • AUGUST 17 – AUGUST 23 , 2026 16