music discussion worksheet

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LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS

Level: Upper-intermediate (B2-C1)

Type of English: General English

Tags: sound and music describing music Vocabulary lesson

Publication date: 08/01/2013

This worksheet covers vocabulary related to music , including English words for musical instruments , adjectives and expressions for describing music as well as common idioms related to music . The lesson plan includes speaking activities as well as a listening exercise in which the students describe six music samples.

Music-Ex3.mp3

Hello! I have used this lesson with my C1 student and he loved it. He was very pleased and said he learned a lot. He was curious to know, though, if you happen to have the information on the second song (the orchestral one) in the third exercise. He tried to find it online, but came up empty. Could you help us out, please Thank you!

Hi Dafny. I believe it is the soundtrack to the film Inception

Thanks! Having lessons with a professional musician and I'm sure he is going to like this very much ;-)

Thank you! Much appreciated!

Hey! I am truly grateful for this material. It is awesome! It includes very useful expressions and very dynamic and meaningful activities.

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This worksheet covers vocabulary related to  music , including  English words for musical instruments , adjectives, and expressions for describing music as well as common  idioms related to music . The lesson plan includes speaking activities as well as a listening exercise in which the students describe six music samples.

COURSE PLANS

This comprehensive course plan covers the full range of language needs – listening, role play, vocabulary development.

Worksheets in English for Life course plan

Type of English: General English Level: Upper-intermediate (B2-C1)

Type of English: General English Level: Intermediate (B1-B2)

Worksheets in English Vocabulary to Go course plan

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Can you imagine the world without music?

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Adjectives for describing music

LESSON OVERVIEW

Thanks to this lesson plan on music, students will learn various adjectives for describing music and watch a video in which orchestra musicians talk about the world without music .

First, students get a set of pictures to describe . The goal of this warm‐up activity is to elicit from students music‐related vocabulary such as concert hall, conductor, orchestra, live concert, violinist, instrumentalist , etc. Next, students move to a short discussion about music and their preferences. In this part of the lesson, students will also learn adjectives for describing music . They get a box with ten adjectives and need to match them to their meanings. To practice them a bit, they also have to choose correct adjectives in a few sentences. The list of adjectives includes, e.g. moving, saddening, entrancing, unsettling, uplifting , etc.

VIDEO & DISCUSSION

Before watching the video, students discuss a quote by Keith Richards (the guitarist of The Rolling Stones) and talk about emotions that music evokes in them. Then, they watch the video for the first time and just need to listen for gist and answer three general questions about the speakers. Next, they watch the video again and have to write down four effects that music has , according to the speakers. There are a lot more effects, so you can expect different students to note down different effects. Finally, this lesson plan on music ends with a short discussion that includes questions about the role of music in our lives, emotions that live concerts evoke as well as pieces of music that bring back memories.

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Thank you! A long time ago there was a slogan; “No music, no life.” which pretty much sums up the feeling.

Thank you!! It s such a good idea to talk about music with my students!! I love this lesson!! Xo

Great to hear that! Enjoy 🙂

Beautiful topic, the video is really touching. Excellent lesson, thanks.

Thank you, Orsi!

Great lesson, thanks 🙂

Very good, interesting and motivating lesson. Keep up the good work!

Love this lesson!

Excellent lesson! Thank you very much! My students enjoyed it a lot!

Awesome! Thank you 🙂

Your lessons are not only good! They are extraordinary! I feel that my students are always happy at the end of each class. The content is always very interesting with the right amount of the important skills. They practice speaking, listening, reading, writing and vocabulary all at once! Thank you so very much for the wonderful work!

Thank you very much for this comment – really appreciate it! But I believe that students are happy because of YOU. After all, you run the lesson, we merely provide some resources.

This is a “go-to” lesson plan for me for my online Speaking and Listening class! Students always engage so well with the material. The vocab is useful, the video engaging and the discussion goes on and on… students sharing their own favourite music and talking about how it influences their emotions. Thank you!

Thanks! I’m thrilled to hear that the lesson works so well and students enjoy it 🙂

Thanks for sharing it.

A very moving film and a great lesson plan. Thank you for your inspiring lessons

Thank you for such kind words about our lessons 🙂

From my point of view, the lessons would be much more helpful if they came with the English subtitles.

Actually, a lot of YouTube videos come with automatically generated subtitles, but unfortunately the video in this lesson doesn’t have them.

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You can get your own editable copy of an e-lesson plan and make changes to it. To do so, either (1) make a copy of it on your Google Drive (preferable method) or (2) download it in a Powerpoint format (but formatting might be a bit off so we can’t guarantee that it will work well).

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THE SOUND OF MUSIC

SUBJECTS — Drama/Musicals; World/WWII & Austria;

SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING — Parenting; Romantic Relationships;

MORAL-ETHICAL EMPHASIS — Trustworthiness; Caring.

AGE : 6+; No MPAA Rating;

Musical; 1965; 174 minutes; Color. Available from Amazon.com .

Benefits of the Movie Possible Problems Parenting Points Selected Awards & Cast

Helpful Background Discussion Questions Social-Emotional Learning

Moral-Ethical Emphasis Assignments and Projects Bridges to Music

DESCRIPTION

This is the film version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic musical based upon the true story of the singing von Trapp family of Austria and their flight from the Nazis just before World War II.

SELECTED AWARDS & CAST

Selected Awards: 1965 Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director (Wise), Best Adapted Score, Best Film Editing, Best Sound; 1965 Directors Guild of America Awards: Best Director (Wise); 1966 Golden Globe Awards: Best Actress-Musical/Comedy (Andrews), Best Film-Musical/ Comedy; 1965 National Board of Review Awards: Ten Best Films of the Year; 1965 Academy Awards Nominations: Best Actress (Andrews), Best Supporting Actress (Wood), Best Art Direction/Set Decoration (color), Best Color Cinematography, Best Costume Design (color). This film is ranked #55 on the American Film Institute’s List of the 100 Greatest American Movies of All Time (2006). It is ranked #4 on the American Film Institute’s List of the 25 Great Movie Musicals. This film is listed in the National Film Registry of the U.S. Library of Congress as a “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” film.

Featured Actors: Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Eleanor Parker, Peggy Wood, Charmian Carr.

Director: Robert Wise.

BENEFITS OF THE MOVIE

This wonderful musical is a classic work of popular art. Featured songs include: “Climb Every Mountain,” “I Have Confidence In Me,” “Something Good,” “The Sound of Music,” “16 Going on 17,” and “My Favorite Things.” It also provides background to the peaceful German annexation of Austria just before World War II. It shows some of the tactics used by the Nazis to intimidate those who were reluctant to follow their lead. The movie also demonstrates how love can transform a dysfunctional family.

POSSIBLE PROBLEMS

Parenting points.

If your children are very young, ages 6 – 8, just enjoy the film and the music. For children, 9 – 11 describe the Nazis briefly and their takeover of Austria. See the Helpful Background section. For children 12 – 15 ask and help them to answer the Quick Discussion Question. For children interested in knowing how things work, describe thunder and lightning. See the Thunder and Lightning in the Helpful Background section.

HELPFUL BACKGROUND

THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT

The story told in the musical is true, differing from the real story only in a few details, e.g., the family escaped in two automobiles and not on foot. The Von Trapps did not return to Austria after WWII, but settled in the United States. They arrived in New York with only $4 in their pockets. At first they made their living as touring musicians. After fourteen years they established a music camp in Vermont, naming it “Little Austria.” The Baron, who had been a decorated submarine commander in the First World War, died in 1947. Maria Von Trapp lived until 1987, reaching the age of 82. Maria Von Trapp’s only complaint about the musical was that it portrayed her as a “goody-goody.”

On March 12, 1938, Nazi troops peacefully entered Austria to effect the union of Austria and Germany. This was called the “Anschluss”. Germany and its friends in Austria claimed that there was a common Austro-German language and culture and that Austria should be a part of the Third Reich. As shown in the movie, the few Austrians who opposed the Anschluss were drowned out in a chorus of “Heil Hitlers.”

Most Austrians have never seen this film and the story of the Von Trapp family is not well known in that country. “Edelweiss” is not a particularly popular song in Austria. It is not a kind of folk national anthem as implied by this film. This movie is meaningful primarily to audiences in the U.S.

THUNDER AND LIGHTNING

The tops of clouds carry a positive electric charge but the bottoms of clouds are negatively charged, as is the Earth. The cloud sparks as a lightning bolt when the difference in the charges is great enough. About 65% of the occurrences of lightning are in a single cloud or from one cloud to another. Only about 35% of lightning bolts hit the earth. The speed of lightning can vary, but it is usually about 90 miles per second (143 KM per second). A lightning bolt has an inner core of about one inch consisting of the electrical charge and an outer core which consists of glowing ionized particles. When the electrical charge hits the ground, a counterstroke goes back up through the same route to the cloud. This is so rapid that we can’t see it.

Lightning is hot: about 30,000 degrees Fahrenheit or 16,700 degrees Celsius. It heats the surrounding air which then expands at supersonic speed. A sonic boom (thunder) is produced as the air moving away from the lightning breaks the sound barrier. The light from a lightning bolt travels at the speed of light. Thunder travels at the speed of sound which is much slower. If you are far away from a lightning strike, you will see the lightning several seconds before you hear the thunder. You can determine approximately how far you are from the lightning strike by counting the seconds between the lightning flash and the thunder and then dividing by five for the distance in miles, or by three for the distance in kilometers.

THE TELEGRAPH

The telegraph was the first practical method of sending information electronically. It came into common use in the first half of the 19th century. It has only recently been replaced by teletype, facsimile, and next day delivery services. Even after the telephone came into widespread use, messages that were important were sent by telegraph. The company that obtained a monopoly on telegraph service in the United States was called Western Union. In a telegram, the word “stop” would be used to indicate the end of a sentence.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Quick discussion question:.

Should Captain von Trapp have stayed in Austria and resisted the Nazi takeover of his country or did he do the right thing in fleeing to the United States?

Suggested Response:

There is no one right answer to this question. The Nazis probably would have killed him and his family, but if enough people had stood up to the Nazis, Germany would not have been able to absorb Austria into the Third Reich. In the end, it is an issue of tactics.

1. See Discussion Questions for Use With any Film that is a Work of Fiction .

2. Describe how lightning makes thunder.

3. Why do you see the lightning before you hear the thunder?

4. Why wasn’t Maria able to conform to the rules of the convent?

5. Why did the Mother Superior think that Maria should try life outside of the convent?

6. In the film, what was the significance of the song “Edelweiss?”

1. How was Captain von Trapp as a parent before Maria’s influence took hold in the family?

2. Can you say whether caring or discipline is more important in raising a child? Are they mutually exclusive?

3. Von Trapp was a strict disciplinarian as a father. Did this mean his children thought that he didn’t love them? [Note that the word “discipline” comes from the Latin word, “disciplina” which means “instruction, knowledge”.]

ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS

4. As shown by this film what did Maria see in Von Trapp and what did he see in her? Is this usually enough to sustain a long term relationship?

MORAL-ETHICAL EMPHASIS (CHARACTER COUNTS)

Discussion Questions Relating to Ethical Issues will facilitate the use of this film to teach ethical principles and critical viewing. Additional questions are set out below.

TRUSTWORTHINESS

(Be honest; Don’t deceive, cheat or steal; Be reliable — do what you say you’ll do; Have the courage to do the right thing; Build a good reputation; Be loyal — stand by your family, friends, and country)

See Quick Discussion Question.

(Be kind; Be compassionate and show you care; Express gratitude; Forgive others; Help people in need)

See questions in the “Parenting” section above.

ASSIGNMENTS, PROJECTS & ACTIVITIES

See Assignments, Projects, and Activities for Use With Any Film that is a Work of Fiction .

BRIDGES TO MUSIC

If your child is musically inclined, get the score from the local library or music store and encourage him or her to play some of the music. If someone can play the piano, get the family together and sing some of the songs.

• Do re mi fa so la ti do – are the words used to denote the various tones of the diatonic scale in music.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS

Building vocabulary:.

convent, moon beam, mother superior, doe, re, Anschluss, wiener schnitzel.

15 Music Therapy Activities and Tools

As a therapy, music is a proven way to reduce stress and to get into a mindful state of consciousness.

Music therapy includes listening, communicating, and understanding. It is a popular method used in hospitals, educational institutions, and other clinical settings to ease clients and make them comfortable.

Psychologists believe that music therapy improves the quality of life (Scott, 2018). From pain to personal loss, attentional disorders to relationship issues, music therapy is one fix that suits all.

Professor Suzanne Hanser of Berklee College of Music said that music therapy serves five significant purposes:

• Shifting one’s attention from problems to solutions.
• Offering a rhythmic structure for relaxation and breathing.
• Helping clients visualize positive imagery that evokes pleasure and happiness.
• Helping them achieve a deep state of relaxation.
• Changing mood.

Music therapy stands undisputed as a heal for negative stress and burden. In this article, we will take a look at some of the most useful resources on music therapy for kids and adults. With a range of exercises, activities, and kinds of music, the tools mentioned in the sections below can be a great start to uncovering the real benefits of music therapy on all levels.

Before you read on, we thought you might like to download our three Positive Psychology Exercises for free . These science-based exercises will explore fundamental aspects of positive psychology including strengths, values and self-compassion and will give you the tools to enhance the wellbeing of your clients, students or employees.

This Article Contains:

What are music therapy activities and tools, 3 music therapy techniques, a look at music therapy interventions, 3 examples of music therapy in action, common questions on the application of music therapy, 3 music therapy activities and exercises, application ideas for kids, 2 music therapy worksheets, 2 questionnaires (incl pdf), 2 books on music therapy, a take-home message.

Music therapy is an expressive art therapy . Whether you are writing a song, listening to it, or singing alongside – music therapy in any form requires some form of communication and expression.

Music therapy is mostly conducted under supervision, where the therapist uses specialized tools or other mechanisms to implement the program successfully.

For example, musical instruments like the guitar or piano are popular music therapy tools. Some forms of music therapy also involve imagery, where the therapist gently guides the client to imagine himself in a pleasant situation and plays soothing music to create the right ambiance for it.

There are numerous tools and activities that music therapists use.

Some of them are:

A musical instrument

Clients love to hear their therapist play and sing along. Having a guitar, ukulele, keyboard, or harp, is excellent for brightening up the session. It brings in an immediate sense of joy and works brilliantly for youngsters in music therapy.

Playing music on a good speaker is ideal for group therapy. It creates a sense of livelihood and encourages clients to participate in the process. Besides, it also helps the therapist to make sure he is audible to all.

A screen for visual activities

When using visual imagery to accompany the music, therapists often keep a tablet or other devices to project the image on the screen. Besides keeping clients engaged throughout the session, visual tools act as a catalyst in enhancing the positive impact of music on our mind.

Paper and pen

Many music therapists keep pen and paper for recording and managing feedback. It is also used in songwriting activities or sentence completion games where the clients express themselves through words.

The core purpose of music therapy is to strengthen one’s emotional skills and calls for a positive shift in mindset . Various methods or music therapy activities are used by professionals to meet these goals (Kimberley 2012).

For example, some music therapy activities include:

• Writing and singing songs.
• Improvising on songs and music pieces.
• Playing a musical instrument.
• Using musical devices and technology.
• Listening to music (with and without visual imagery).
• Exchanging information through music.

What music therapy techniques do you know? We reflect on three techniques.

1. Drumming

Drumming is an excellent music tool for inducing light-hearted fun, positive addiction, and unhindered engagement. Scientists believe that drumming activities increase cellular activity that helps the body fight against neurological and endocrinological disorders.

Besides improving bodily functions, drumming also has a positive social connotation and brings people together as part of a group.

There are no rules in drumming interventions. Clients are free to choose their way and play the instrument as they like.

Rick Allen, a famous drummer and the founder of the Raven Drum Foundation, suggested that some immediate benefits of drumming include:

• Reduction of stress, trauma, and anxiety.
• Controlling symptoms of chronic pain.
• Revitalizing the immune system.
• Creating a sense of social connection.
• Emotional catharsis or release of bottled-up anger and aggression.
• Providing scope for self-realization and introspection.

Singing is a universal music therapy technique that is suitable for clients of all ages and backgrounds. It has been incorporated in various forms and activities and is a widely used music therapy tool today. Many psychologists call singing the ‘mega-vitamin’ for the brain.

Studies have shown that listening to songs or singing along with them helps in repairing damaged brain tissues. This is a reason why singing is a crucial part of treating Parkinson’s disease, dementia, or Alzheimer’s (Gerdner and Swanson,1993).

3. Vibro-Acoustic Therapy

Vibro-Acoustic Therapy or VAT is a scientific approach of combining low-frequency vibrations with the resonations of slow-paced music. The International Society of VAT mentioned that ‘sound waves helps in circulating positive energy throughout the body.’ It activates the body and allows it to use the inbuilt repair mechanisms to calm the mind and body.

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Music therapy interventions are broadly categorized as active interventions and receptive interventions. In general, all forms of music therapy interventions use the power of tunes and sound waves to penetrate the human mind and help it attain a peaceful state. Whether a person is creating music, playing it, or listening to it, the instant emotions that the process evokes help bring about the positive shift in focus.

Active music interventions are the ones where clients and therapists are equally involved in the therapeutic process. Activities such as dancing, group singing, solo performances, or musical games are ideal examples of active interventions of music therapy.

In receptive or passive interventions, clients are mostly listeners more than performers. These interventions include music relaxation therapies, mindful music meditation, or the like.

A popular music intervention that many neuroscientists rely on is Neurologic Music Therapy or NMT. It is a scientific technique that records brain functions before and after exposure to relaxing music to induce desirable changes in the client. NMT is a therapy of choice for helping clients with neuro-linguistic troubles, and it also helps in developing motor skills in children and young adults. (Koelsch, 2009).

The earliest evidence of a musical instrument was a bone flute that was arguably about 40,000 years old. The in-grained impact of music therapy that more or less all of us experience is partly due to these ancient links of music and human living (Rolvsjord, 2010).

Music therapy has been around since the Stone Age. Ancient civilizations and indigenous cultures like the Aborigines of Australia and some African tribes used singing and musical group activities to pray, celebrate, or sail through tough times (such as drought, flood, or extreme weather conditions).

The Ancient Greek civilization also leaves traces of how they incorporated music into their lives and believed that it is the only way to restore the peace of mind and body.

Musings of Plato and Pythagoras have several indications of how the Greeks tried to support each other through music and encouraged music education and awareness in their communities (Pavlicevic and Ansdell, 2004; Stige, 2002; 2003; Stige, Ansdell, and Pavlicevic, 2010; Stige and Aaroe, 2012).

Another prominent example of a real-life application of music therapy is in autism treatment. Autistic children, who have impaired social and cognitive abilities, respond prominently better to musical stimuli than other modes of communication. It captures their attention and sustains it for a longer duration.

Studies have also shown that teaching differently-abled children daily duties through musical actions helps in imprinting the information permanently and internalizing the information sooner.

Why I want to change the world with music therapy – Erin Seibert

Jeff Peterson, President of the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, said that most clients and caregivers, before participating in music therapy sessions come with several queries about the usefulness of music therapy.

Some common questions that people ask include:

• What is music therapy?
• How does it help in improving health?
• How often do we need to practice it?
• How does it impact on mood and emotions?
• Where can we practice it?
• Who can give us more information about music therapy?
• Are music therapy and music relaxation the same thing?

Many online resources and blogs give us an idea of what we should know before signing up for music therapy and who we should talk to. You can have a look at these articles by our writers that beautifully explain music therapy, its background, and implications in real life.

• What is Music Therapy and How Does it Work?
• What Are the Benefits of Music Therapy?

Music therapy research is at its peak, and many effective musical interventions and strategies are uniquely designed to suit our purposes. Below is a list of popular music therapy group activities and other interventions that you might want to know about.

1. Music Bingo

Music Bingo is a cognitive music activity that improves memory and reality orientation. It is a preferred method for adult interventions and is often used in association with other forms of therapy to improve mental health.

The activity involves making cards where each participant draws a song, and others sing it after guessing the name right. It can be played in pairs or as a group, and works great for people with poor memory skills.

2. Music Relaxation

Music relaxation is a well-known music therapy for mindfulness and meditation. The primary purpose of music relaxation is to induce a calm state where the mind can relax, and the muscles can loosen up to shed the pent-up stress.

Music relaxation is a vital component in many yoga retreats, where instructors moderate the room lights and minimize any external distraction before playing the tune. It is also a great way to unwind ourselves every day and helps improve emotional resilience over time.

3. Music Selection

Music selection is used for adolescents or clients with disturbances in emotional and self-regulation. The process involves letting clients choose a piece of music that they are familiar with. Self-selected pieces of music evoke emotions and bring back memories that might be associated with it.

Music selection often accompanies guided visual imagery where the therapist urges the client to imagine himself in a pleasant environment while the music continues to play in the background. It is a meditative practice that induces ultimate self-awareness and acceptance.

Music therapy motivates kids of all ages and is an excellent intervention for managing childhood depression, impulse control problems, and attention-related disorders (Gold, Voracek, and Wigram, 2004).

Musical interventions for children are used in schools, private counseling practices, medical facilities, and foster homes. The common goal is to uplift their mood and help them manage their distress effectively.

Most researchers agree that music therapy for children works best in a group setting. Performing as part of a team helps them form connections to peers and overcome any loneliness they have been facing.

Whether the interventions are conducted in schools or other facilities, group activities help in:

• Knowing others having similar problems and developing empathy.
• Communicating and motivating each other in the group.
• Expressing and reacting spontaneously to the stimuli.
• Building connections and helping each other overcome their loneliness.
• Improving listening skills, readiness, and reaction times.
• Building secure coping mechanisms and self-confidence.

Involving family and teachers in music therapy for kids is also an excellent option for rebuilding the relationships they share with their elders. Musical exercises help them come closer to each other and explore happiness by spending undistracted time with each other.

There are a few interesting music therapy worksheets in our toolkit, and we briefly describe them below.

Using Music to Express Feelings

As mentioned earlier, music therapy calls for emotional catharsis and self-expression. The ‘ Using Music to Express Feelings ‘ worksheet helps clients open up about their innermost feelings through some musical expressions.

The exercise is simple and contains the following steps. It is subjective and self-storable, so there are no right or wrong answers in this. Below is a brief description of the worksheet, and you can learn more about it from the Positive Psychology Toolkit© .

Instructions – Choose three songs that you think describe your situation and feelings right now. For each of the songs you chose, answer the following questions, and be true to yourself. Remember that there are no right or wrong answers here.

1. What are the titles of the songs? ____________________________________________________________ 2. What comes to your mind when you hear the songs? ____________________________________________________________ 3. How do they make you feel? ____________________________________________________________ 4. What part of each song is the most important to you, and why? ____________________________________________________________

Draw What You Hear Worksheet

This worksheet is used in several settings for both individual and group purposes. The task is simple and uses the following steps:

• Clients rate their listening skills at the beginning of the session.
• The therapist then exposes them to a few musical pieces and asks them to attend to each carefully.
• At the next step, each participant gets a worksheet (shown below), where they either write, draw, or journal what they felt after listening to the pieces of music.

Use the following surveys to assess your clients.

1. Music Therapy Questionnaire Survey

The Music Therapy Questionnaire Survey is an assessment that is usually used at the beginning or the end of each session. The questionnaire is objective; a brief overview of it is here below.

2. Children’s Music Therapy Questionnaire

The Children’s Music Therapy Questionnaire is an adaptation of the adult version. The worksheet is represented with bright images and pictorial representations that children should find easy and fun to do. The questionnaire is briefly illustrated below, and you can download the full version as well.

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These Music Therapy books are great tools to improve your knowledge and skills.

1. The Handbook of Music Therapy – Leslie Bunt, Leslie Hoskyns, and Sangeeta Swami

The book is divided into four segments, each exploring a crucial aspect of music therapy such as its evolution, historical implications, clinical contributions, practical applications, and professional uses.

It comes with real-life examples and case studies and is suitable for professionals, therapists, or anyone interested to learn more about the fundamentals of musical interventions in psychotherapy.

Find the book on Amazon .

2. Rhythm to Recovery: A Practical Guide to Using Rhythmic Music, Voice and Movement for Social and Emotional Development – Simon Faulkner and James Oshinsky

The book contains over 100 drills that are suitable for different age groups and is undoubtedly an excellent reference for professional use. It offers meaningful insight on childhood and adolescent problems and uncovers unique ways of using music to address those issues.

Music reduces pain and brings us closer to ourselves. It is one of the best remedies for beating stress and loneliness, and also gives us the strength to face and express the strong emotions that guide most of our actions.

Using music as a relaxation technique, individual, or group intervention can bring desired changes in terms of cardiac functioning, blood pressure levels, and overall body functions. Whether you are an active listener or an active performer, music, in any form, will change your life for the better.

As Jean Richter said, and we all at some levels would agree to it:

Music is moonlight in the gloomy nights of our lives.

Continue Reading: 17 Best Drama Therapy Techniques, Activities & Exercises

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Positive Psychology Exercises for free .

• Blood, A., & Zatorre, R. J. (2001). Intensely pleasurable responses to music correlate with activity in brain regions implicated in reward and emotion .
• Forsblom, Lantinen, Särkämö, and Tervaniemi, (2009). Therapeutic role of music listening in stroke rehabilitation .
• Guetin, Picot, Pommie, and Djabelkir, (2009). Effect of music therapy on anxiety and depression in patients with Alzheimer’s type dementia .
• Klassen, Liang, and Hartling, (2008). Music for pain and anxiety in children undergoing medical procedures .
• Koelsch, S. (2009). A Neuroscientific perspective on music therapy .
• Levy, Jillian (2017). Music therapy: Benefits and uses for anxiety, depression and more .
• Scott, Elizabeth (2018). Music relaxation: A healthy stress management tool.
• Smith, Yolanda (2018). Types of Music Therapy .

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What our readers think.

I facilitate an 8 hr restorative justice workshop in a youth detention facility with some of the most violent young people in our state. I’ve recently started implementing music in the middle of our workshop and it has already had a positive effect. To the point that we are starting a music writing and recording class at the facility. If this goes well we will offer the class at other facilities in the state. The info given here is VERY helpful for what we are doing. I’d love to stay tapped in here.

Thank you for the article! I would love to try the music bingo. But it is not totally clear to me how it works? Thank you in advance!

I’m glad you found the article about Music Bingo interesting and that you’re keen to try it!

Here’s how it works: Each participant receives a card with different songs listed. Then a song is played or a hint is given about a song. Participants try to identify the song and if they have it on their card, they mark it. Eventually, the first person to complete a row or pattern (as decided before the game starts) and shout “Bingo!” is the winner.

Hope this helps!

Warm regards, Julia | Community Manager

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