In animal shelters across the United States, live music is offering an unexpected sense of calm. From the mellow chords of the Beatles to the intricate highs of Mozart, musicians are stepping into kennels and catteries to perform for some of society's most overlooked listeners.
"You don't need to understand the lyrics to feel something," says one volunteer. "The melody and rhythm are enough."
The initiative is part of Wild Tunes, a growing non-profit that has already brought live music to nine shelters across Houston, Denver and New Jersey, with over 100 volunteer performers. Observers say the results are immediate: animals once agitated begin to settle, and some even fall asleep mid-performance. Flutist Sarah McDonner reflects, "It's not just enrichment. It changes the animals' energy."
Scientific research backs some of these observations. Classical music has been shown to reduce anxiety in dogs, temper aggression in gorillas and even encourage approach behaviours in cattle. Yet not all animals respond the same way. Some studies found no measurable impact, while others observed increased stress levels in hens exposed to specific musical styles.
