Dr. Alexandra Davatzes (Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Temple University) and Dr. Elizabeth Parker (Department of Music Education, Temple University)

“Creating Harmonies Against Climate Change (CHANT)”

Climate change has become an increasingly pressing issue, both to scientists and the public. While adults grapple with their own concerns, children are also experiencing eco-anxiety, and studies show that children seem to experience these levels of anxiety associated with environmental degradation and climate change at rates much higher than adults. From Fall 2023 to Spring 2025, we had a unique opportunity to study the effects of choral music on cognitive, affective, and behavioral development in children aged 10-18. For their 150th anniversary celebration, the Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia commissioned On the Horizon, and approached Commonwealth Youth Choir to collaborate with the composer, Dr. Melissa Dunphy to bring the voice of children into the text. Our data collection documented the effect of participating in this process—in the creative design, the learning of the music, and performance of the music—and how that might influence children’s cognitive, affective, and behavioral relationship with climate change. In this lecture, we will explore the development of a theoretical model, highlight emerging findings, and introduce potential implications from the study.