I found this really interesting to connect to a motivational CD I am listening to at the same time, called the "Abundance Paradigm" by Dr. Joe Vitale. In the CD he talks about the "Law of Attraction" and how things are attracted to you based on the vibrational frequency you are emitting, so if you hope to stop attracting bad things and get more of the good you need to change your body's vibration, which he then teaches you methods to cleanse and clear your subconscious of any negative mind sets in order to help do this. Listening to a chant was one way he suggested for clearing negative items out of your subconscious.
Chanting has become a fun way for me to relax my body and clear my head since there is really no room for thinking and tightening up the body when you are immersed in the activity. It really does open me up and make me feel renewed. A person doesn't have to chant in Sanskrit or some other language to get these benefits, although Hersey did recommend it because when you don't know what you are chanting then it stops your mind from creating mental images and other thoughts to attach to your chant. But I can see any kind of singing having a positive effect on your mind and body. You can belt out an uplifting song that is currently on the radio, such as Pharrell Williams' "Happy" or Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger." Or singing hymns of praise in church, and in the end it is all doing the same thing to you: creating positive energy, clearing and cleaning your mind, and making you feel good.