Illustrated by Nancy Sosna Bohm

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!

Scott N. Edgar is Associate Professor of Music, Music Education Chair, and Director of Bands at Lake Forest College (Lake Forest, Illinois). Dr. Edgar is the author of Music Education and Social Emotional Learning: The Heart of Teaching Music and is an internationally sought-after clinician on Social Emotional Learning.

Stephanie Edgar is an active choral singer, performing with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra Chorus (Jacksonville, Florida), the University Musical Society Choral Union (Ann Arbor, Michigan), and the Chicago-based Peregrine Vocal Ensemble. Stephanie works as Coordinator of the Center for Academic Success at Lake Forest College in Illinois.

Nancy Sosna Bohm is a retired academic librarian and lifelong artist with experience in a variety of media, styles, and subjects.

Listen to the music on Spotify:


In an effort to increase the diversity of musical examples in The ABCs of My Feelings and Music, Karen Howard has created an additional playlist to use with the artwork! Click here for a free PDF of the song titles and emotion words included on Karen's playlist.


In an effort to increase the diversity of musical examples in The ABCs of My Feelings and Music, Franklin Willis has created an additional playlist to use with the artwork! Click here for a free PDF of the song titles and emotion words included on Franklin's playlist.