How Does Music Affect Your Mood?
Ask Students: Why does rhythm influence our moods, according to the expert? How else can playing or listening to music change our moods?
Summary
Why does music affect our moods? Students John Barnes and Brigitte Bonsu of PBS NewsHour’s Student Reporting Labs explore with expert interviews, scientific research and their own journeys in music. For more information, click here.
Discussion Questions
- Who are the experts interviewed for this story, and what are their backgrounds?
- Why does rhythm influence our moods, according to the expert?
- How else can playing or listening to music change our moods?
- What are the effects of lyrics on the brain, according to this story?
- Where in the brain is most affected by music, according to this story?
Focus Questions
What art do you turn to to change your mood? What kind of music has the most powerful affect on your mood?
Media Literacy: What do you think it adds to the story to have students interview experts and describe their own experiences?
Activity: My Playlist, My Mood
Make your own playlist. Write a list of 5-10 songs that you can play anytime to help you when you need to change your mood or just need a burst of energy. Then, have volunteers contribute one or two suggestions to a class playlist!
You can also check out this story on how music has the power to reach people in nursing homes once considered unreachable.
Additional Resources
TeachRock on LADAMA: Teaching Music and Community of South America
March 22, 2022 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM EDT
PBS NewsHour Classroom helps teachers and students identify the who, what, where and why-it-matters of the major national and international news stories.
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