Jim McMahon

The students from the Scandinavian Cello School in Stevns, Denmark, set up their instruments on a hay-strewn stage at a nearby cattle farm one recent night. Clad in formal wear, they began playing the dramatic opening bars to a classical piece by a Danish composer. Cows had been grazing in the nearby field, but as soon as the music began, they crowded over to the fence that separated them from the performers, poking their heads through and jostling for position. They listened attentively, occasionally letting out an appreciative moo. (The humans in the audience seemed to enjoy themselves too.) The concert’s main goal was to attract attention to the school’s young musicians, but the owners of the farm say music also helps their animals stay calm. That’s why they began playing Mozart and other classical music in the barn last year, and about once a week, musicians come over for a live performance in front of the cows. “Classical music is very good for humans,” says Mogens Haugaard, one of the owners. “It helps us relax, and cows can tell whether we’re relaxed or not. It makes sense that it would make them feel good too.”