An EARWORM Activity that Addresses Individual Interests

In my recent blog posts, I've discussed finding out what interests elders, youth, or individuals of any age or stage, then sharing with them variations of a music theme that meet their interest. I am facinated with EARWORMs because, like many elders, I love music and sharing it with others. EARWORMS can boost our brain. In a 2021 UC Davis study, researchers found that participants remembered more details from the movies they were shown when a tune from the movie was played. https://qpsneuro.com/could-earworms-boost-your-brain/.

Following are a few examples of playing bird sounds to key in on individual interests (such as Art, Fashion, Music, Geography, Environment). Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

• Art based on bird sounds, https://www.alicehargrave.com/installation-views

• Fashion based on bird sounds, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Dovima_Montage_layers.pdf

• Music, Learn bird songs, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/how-to-learn-bird-songs-and-calls/

• Geography (Wall of Birds) with bird songs, https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/features/wallofbirds/

• Environment, https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/about/

Articles on EarWorms:

• https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/why-earworms-get-stuck-in-your-head/

• https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/why-you-cant-get-a-song-out-of-your-head-and-what-to-do-about-it-2017100412490

Steps:

• Find out what interests each individual.

• Play catchy tunes or musical theme/s that relates to their interest.

• Play variation of the same tune or mucial theme.

• Engage them by asking questions, and/or observing their reactions after listening to the selections.

Here's an example of ways to use music to addess children's interest in dinosaurs or individuals of any age interested in adventure (from the movie Jurassic Park):

• John Williams & Vienna Philharmonic, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NqaupGcCpw

• Jurassic Park, Trumpet on Multitrack Cover, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr8H1gbQH9s

• Jurassic Park Flute Cover, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5TopSaWNfk

• Thomas Oliver - 'Jurassic Park Them' (Weissenborn Instrumental), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-f9bpMpddA

Here is an example music that may appreal to individuals of any age who are interested in family relationships (variations of the tune Sunrise, Sunset, originally played in Fiddler on the Roof):

Sunrise, Sunset, LionKing, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpshXNCuLg8

Sunrise, Sunset, from Fiddler on the Roof, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLLEBAQLZ3Q

Sunrise, Sunset, from film Beautiful Boy, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LAlUl91srI

After listening to the tunes, ask such questions as the following (or notice facial expressions and body movements of those who could not use words to express themselves:)

• What was your favorite version of the tune? Why?

• Which instrument did you prefer to play this tune?

• Which film setting touched you the most?

• Which singer did you like best to sing this tune?

• What in the lyrics or tune brought back memories to you?