From Joy to Reflection: A Journey Through Music with My Students

Hi, my name is David, and I gave my second lesson this week introducing music to my students with developmental disabilities. Having completed our first session, where we experimented with emotions in music, I wanted to go further into an exploration of the ways that various types of music can influence feelings and attitudes.

We started the class with a simple discussion: What are the songs that make us happy, and why?

They were eager to discuss their go-to songs, from upbeat pop to childhood classics. In sharing them, I discovered that the origin of happiness varied—some in the beat, some in the lyrics, and some correlated happiness with a song's associated memories. This introduced the tone for the rest of the lesson: music is beyond sound; it's personal.

Next, I introduced them to Renaissance music, which was an entirely new genre to their ears. We listened to a piece with extremely thick harmonies and complicated melodies, and I asked them what it made them feel. Some of them said it was relaxing, while others said it was almost regal, as if they were in a castle. It was fascinating to discover that an old genre could still impart feelings that resonated with them today.

Next, a student played a favorite classical piece of hers. While the music was being played, the class was silent and took in every note. After it ended, we talked about what it made us feel. Some individuals stated that it calmed them, but others became melancholic or thoughtful. It was moving because it indicated that the same music could have totally different effects on various individuals. This second lesson reaffirmed what I had learned in our first: music is not something that we hear—it's something that we feel. It brings us together in ways that words cannot. I am excited to keep taking these lessons, to learn more genres, and to learn more about how my students listen to music in their own individual ways.