The ABCs of My Feelings and Music

Book excerpt: Music and art can help us feel and express deep emotions. We can be happy or sad, but that is only the beginning. This beautiful book explores the powerful link between art, music, and emotion, and is ideal for deepening Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and building a fuller emotional vocabulary. Built on the principles of SEL, each page of The ABCs of My Feelings and Music offers an emotion word in a piece of colorful artwork, one for each letter of the alphabet. Below each illustration are three classical music suggestions to listen to while observing the art. Use the provided questions and a link to playlists to help unpack what children are seeing and feeling. The questions can also jumpstart meaningful discussions about how art and music can affect and help us express our emotions. This book is for children as well as teachers, parents, social workers, counselors, music therapists--anyone who works with children and understands the power of art and music. We hope this book helps you and your children/students expand their emotional vocabulary, have meaningful discussions about emotions, and think more deeply about how music and art makes us feel!