Music and

Emotion:
Songwriting
from the soul

Grades 9-12

KAITLYN CONNOLLY
Table of Contents

01 Course Description

02 Rationale

03 Expected Impact on Students

04 National Core Arts Standards

05 Expected Community Impact

06 Course Outline

07 Project Outline

08 Project Timeline

09 Proposed Budget

10 References

KAITLYN CONNOLLY

MUSIC & EMOTION: SONGWRITING FOR THE SOUL

 Course Description
This course will examine the psychological impact
of music on the brain. Specifically, this course will
focus on several core emotions (joy, sadness,
anger, fear, and disgust) and explore why certain
music makes us feel these different emotions.
What songs make you feel happy? What
components contribute to this feeling? Through
songwriting and musical exploration, students will
unlock and discover the elements of music that
prompt an emotional response. This course will
provide students with a basic understanding of the
psychology of music and the benefits of music
therapy. Students will be introduced to the many
approaches to music therapy and will participate
in community practicum if they choose. This
course provides songwriting projects, musical
exploration through an instrument of their
choosing, field experience, teamwork, and so much
more! Using the power and beauty music provides,
this course is a creative outlet to express your
musical self and a place to share this emotional
discovery with your community.
KAITLYN CONNOLLY

MUSIC & EMOTION: SONGWRITING FOR THE SOUL

 Rationale
Have you ever wondered why different types of music make
you feel different emotions? The power of music is so enriching
and is needed in every single classroom. People from different
cultures, backgrounds, communities, and more can benefit from
music. This course provides a look into music and emotion.
Inspired by the Disney Pixar movie Inside Out, students will write
songs on things or life experiences that make them feel joy,
sadness, anger, fear, or disgust. In Dennis Beentjes and Robin
Reumers blog, “Emotion in music, giving you the chills,” they state
“Music is something special. Some call it a universal language,
while others call it the window to the soul.” This universal language
creates the connection and community I strive for in my
classroom. Not only will students be creating beautiful music, they
will be sharing their stories with one another. Rather than simply
starting with the lyrics, we will explore different musical elements
that contribute to these different emotions. Through presentations
on the psychology of music, we will work together and discover
the elements of music that contribute to our overall mood. From
there, students will share their stories on their own or with a group.
If they feel comfortable, students will share their creations with
one another. At the end of the unit, students will share their
musical works with their community through a concert. As Plato
said, “[music]…gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight
to the imagination, and life to everything” (Watson, 1991, p. 45).
What better way to connect with one another than through the
power of music.
KAITLYN CONNOLLY

MUSIC & EMOTION: SONGWRITING FOR THE SOUL

Expected Impact on Students
At the end of this course,
students will be able to:
Identify modes that make me feel different
emotions (minor, major, etc).
Create music using DAWs.
Use their knowledge and personal
experiences to create art.
Use music as an outlet for expression.
Identify the impacts of music on the human
brain.
Associate various sounds with different
emotions.
Play three chords on the ukulele, piano,
guitar, or other teacher approved instrument.
Write lyrics to a song individually or with a
team.
Identify what music therapy is and its impact
on different people.
Improvise musically or try their best to do so.

KAITLYN CONNOLLY

MUSIC & EMOTION: SONGWRITING FOR THE SOUL

National Core Arts Standards
Anchor Standard 2: Organize and develop artistic ideas
and work. Essential Question(s): How do musicians
make creative decisions? Enduring Understanding:
Musicians’ creative choices are influenced by their
expertise, context, and expressive intent.
Anchor Standard 3: Refine and complete artistic work.
Enduring Understanding: Musicians evaluate, and refine
their work through openness to new ideas, persistence,
and the application of appropriate criteria. Essential
Question(s): How do musicians improve the quality of
their creative work?
Anchor Standard 3: Enduring Understanding: Musicians’
presentation of creative work is the culmination of a
process of creation and communication. Essential
Question(s): When is creative work ready to share?
Anchor Standard 10: Synthesize and relate knowledge
and personal experiences to make art. Enduring
Understanding: Musicians connect their personal
interests, experiences, ideas, and knowledge to creating,
performing, and responding. Essential Question(s): How
do musicians make meaningful connections to creating,
performing, and responding?

KAITLYN CONNOLLY

MUSIC & EMOTION: SONGWRITING FOR THE SOUL

 Expected Community Impact

Students will perform their musical

creations out in the surrounding
community. With basic knowledge of
the psychology of music and music
therapy practices, students will have
an approved practicum experience
locally. Students will encourage and
help community members write
songs and use music as an outlet.

KAITLYN CONNOLLY

MUSIC & EMOTION: SONGWRITING FOR THE SOUL

 Course Outline
Intro to psychology of music
Mini project: Soundtrack of your life
Intro to music therapy
Intro to instruments and DAWs
Project: Inside Out
*Project details explained in next section*
Disgust
Fear
Sadness
Anger
Joy
Project 1 concert and reflection
Music therapy curriculum continued
Alive Inside Documentary
Music therapy practicum in memory care/assisted living
Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain by Oliver Sacks
Students will read and write a minimun of 2 page reflections
on each section of the book
Part I: Haunted by Music
Part II: A Range of Musicality
Part III: Memory, Movement, and Music
Part IV: Emotion, Identity, and Music
Project: Songwriting
Students will work individually or in teams to create one to two
songs that represent their experience this semester
Doing three songs with teacher approval may count for the
final exam
Final exam
A culmination of the curriculum learned throughout the year
as well as reflection on practicum experience
KAITLYN CONNOLLY

MUSIC & EMOTION: SONGWRITING FOR THE SOUL

 Inside Out Project Outline
INSPIRED BY THE DISNEY MOVIE INSIDE OUT,
STUDENTS WILL ESTABLISH MUSIC/MUSICAL
ELEMENTS THAT MAKE THEM FEEL JOY, SADNESS,
ANGER, DISGUST, AND FEAR. EACH CLASS WILL
FOCUS ON A SPECIFIC EMOTION AND THE CLASS
WILL WRITE A SONG WITH AN INSTRUMENT OF
THEIR CHOOSING OR A DAW SOFTWARE (OR
BOTH) AND SHOW AND TELL AT THE END OF
CLASS IF THEY CHOOSE.

KAITLYN CONNOLLY

MUSIC & EMOTION: SONGWRITING FOR THE SOUL

 Inside Out Project Timeline
Each week will focus on a separate emotion. Once all
emotions in Inside Out are covered, students will select
pieces to perform for the community and reflect.

DAY 1 (INSIDE OUT:[CHOSEN EMOTION]): TEACHER PRESENTS

POWERPOINT AND PRESENTS SONG SNIPPETS THAT MAY CAUSE
THIS EMOTION, STUDENTS REFLECT ON ELEMENTS THAT MADE
THEN FEEL THE EMOTION, STUDENTS BREAK INTO SMALL GROUPS
AND MAKE A 30 SECOND TO 1 MINUTE SONG WITH THEIR
INSTRUMENTS OR DAW WEBSITE, STUDENTS SHARE CREATIONS
AT THE END OF CLASS

DAY 2(INSIDE OUT:[CHOSEN EMOTION]): STUDENTS WORK

ALONE OR IN TEAMS AND COME UP WITH LIFE EXPERIENCES OR
WORDS THAT DESCRIBE THIS EMOTION, STUDENTS EXPLORE
SOUNDSCAPES AND MUSICAL ELEMENTS USING INSTRUMENTS OF
DAWS, HOMEWORK OR GOAL FOR THE END OF CLASS IS TO
CREATE A VERSE

DAY 3 (INSIDE OUT:[CHOSEN EMOTION]): STUDENTS CONTINUE

WORKING ON PROJECT AND ARE TASKED WITH CREATING A
VERSE, PRE-CHORUS, AND CHORUS BY NEXT CLASS

DAY 4 (INSIDE OUT:[CHOSEN EMOTION]): STUDENTS SPLIT UP

INTO GROUPS AND SHARE CREATIONS WITH ONE ANOTHER,
PEERS GIVE POSITIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK, STUDENTS
FINALIZE THEIR SONGS AND PREPARE TO SHARE THEM NEXT
CLASS

DAY 5 (INSIDE OUT:[CHOSEN EMOTION])- PRESENTATION DAY):

STUDENTS TAKE TURNS AND SHARE THEIR CREATIONS- THEY CAN
DISCUSS THE MEANING BEHIND THEIR PIECE IF THEY CHOOSE,
STUDENTS GIVE COMPLIMENT AND CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK
SANDWICHES, STUDENTS BEGIN BRAINSTORMING FOR NEXT
EMOTION
KAITLYN CONNOLLY

MUSIC & EMOTION: SONGWRITING FOR THE SOUL

 Proposed Budget
Overall
Item Name Use Cost Quantity
Cost

Musicophilia:
Tales of Music Textbook for required
$12 25 300
and the Brain by readings
Oliver Sacks

Songwriting and musical

Ukuleles $40 10 600
expression

Songwriting and musical

Keyboards $160 3 480
expression

Equipment for recording

Condenser Mics $60 3 180
creation

Supplies students may need

Miscellaneous $440
$440
to be successful

Grant
2022 MUSIC EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP GRANTS APPLICATION
THE PROGRAM WILL FUND PROJECTS DESIGNED TO INCREASE ACCESS TO
CHORAL MUSIC EDUCATION AND PROMOTE NON-ARTS LEARNING AND
CULTURAL LITERACY, ALL WHILE UPHOLDING THE PRINCIPLES OF ACCESS,
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION.

FINANCIAL AWARDS RANGING FROM $15,000 - $50,000

KAITLYN CONNOLLY

MUSIC & EMOTION: SONGWRITING FOR THE SOUL

 References

BEENTJES, DENNIS. “EMOTION IN MUSIC, GIVING YOU THE CHILLS. YOUR

BRAIN ON MUSIC.” ABBEY ROAD
INSTITUTE AMSTERDAM, 27 SEPT. 2019,
HTTPS://ABBEYROADINSTITUTE.NL/BLOG/EMOTION-IN-MUSIC-GIVING-
YOU-THE-CHILLS/.

BUCURA, E., & BRASHIER, R. (2021). TRANSFORMATIONAL LEARNING

STRATEGIES FOR THE SECONDARY GENERAL MUSIC
CLASSROOM. JOURNAL OF GENERAL MUSIC EDUCATION.
HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.1177/27527646211061495

DAVID J. HARGREAVES & NIGEL A. MARSHALL (2003) DEVELOPING

IDENTITIES IN MUSIC EDUCATION, MUSIC
EDUCATION RESEARCH, 5:3, 263-273, DOI: 10.1080/1461380032000126355

KRATUS, J. (2016). SONGWRITING: A NEW DIRECTION FOR SECONDARY

MUSIC EDUCATION. MUSIC EDUCATORS JOURNAL,
102(3), 60–65. HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.1177/0027432115620660

MUSICOPHILIA: OLIVER SACKS, M.D.: AUTHOR, NEUROLOGIST: ON THE

MOVE, HALLUCINATIONS, MUSICOPHILIA, AWAKENINGS, THE MAN WHO
MISTOOK HIS WIFE FOR A HAT. OLIVER SACKS, M.D. (2019, MARCH 20).
RETRIEVED MAY 2, 2022, FROM HTTPS://WWW.OLIVERSACKS.COM/BOOKS-
BY-OLIVER-SACKS/MUSICOPHILIA/

RILEY, MADISON, ET AL. “MUSIC THERAPY ’S ROLE IN THE EDUCATION

SYSTEM.” KENTUCKY TEACHER EDUCATION JOURNAL,
HTTPS://WWW.URLBACKLINKS.COM/SEARCH/MUSIC-THERAPY-ED.

SINGLETARY, L., VANWEELDEN, K., & DAVIS, V. W. (2020). GENERAL MUSIC

TODAY MUSIC IDEAS SERIES,
VIEWPOINTS IN SECONDARY GENERAL MUSIC, ARTICLE 3, SEEDS OF
GENERAL MUSIC IN THE SECONDARY ENSEMBLE: TIME TO BRANCH OUT!
GENERAL MUSIC TODAY, 33(2), 61–67.
HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.1177/1048371319877888

KAITLYN CONNOLLY

MUSIC & EMOTION: SONGWRITING FOR THE SOUL