Musician played his trumpet near a farm to test the Internet theory that 'cows love jazz' — the outcome left him stunned
The internet is filled with theories that sound silly until someone actually decides to test them. A musician from the Netherlands, Jeffrey Parmentier, decided to test one such theory, claiming that cows love jazz. So he grabbed his trumpet and went to a farm to play music for cows. What happened next left him stunned, and @jeffrey.parmentier posted a video of his experiment on TikTok. In the video, which has over 4.7 million views, he was seen standing near a field as he began playing the instrument.
@jeffrey.parmentier Did you expect this?🐮 #cows #jazz #trumpet #jeffreyparmentier #lol #farmer #cowsoftiktok #fyp ♬ origineel geluid - Jeffrey Parmentier
At first, a few cows grazing nearby seemed curious, lifting their heads and slowly turning toward the sound. Parmentier started with playing the classic La Vie en Rose, before moving to Frank Sinatra's My Way, when more cows began walking closer. Within a minute, the herd gathered near the fence, moving steadily toward the musician as if drawn in by the melody. By the end of the video, the cattle were standing in a line facing him.
The unexpected response not only surprised Parmentier but also the viewers. “Cows liking jazz is the most random yet most fitting fact to exist," noted @cincinuvu. @celina.j_654 joked, "The brown cow was like, 'Move out of my way, Sheila, this is my jam!'" While @powlengleng questioned, "Why are cows attracted to jazz?"
The video ignited a discussion on how often animals react to music. A study published in the National Library of Medicine suggested that playing music could influence cows' behavior and welfare. It explained further that the cows, which were exposed to music, could sometimes exhibit calmer behavior and improved interaction with milking systems compared to silence. Another study on "Applied Animal Behaviour Science," by K. Uetake, J.F. Hurnik, and L. Johnson of the Department of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Guelph, suggested cows were more likely to voluntarily approach an automatic milking system when music was played compared with when there was no music, claiming sound influences their behavior.
Music's impact is not limited to animals. It can move humans just as deeply. In another story, an elderly man named Roland Parijs showed how sound can instantly spark joy. Parijs shared a video of himself stopping to dance after hearing a street musician play Riders on the Storm by The Doors. He put down his bag and grooved to the music, smiling throughout, a spontaneous moment that reminded him how music can connect anyone, anywhere. Using his walking stick as part of his movement, he swayed and stepped to the rhythm as the musician continued playing. "He made a video of me dancing and gave me his card. It was Borja Catanesi, what a wonderful artist!" expressed Parijs. The moment was entirely unplanned, yet deeply joyful, showing a brief exchange between two strangers who bonded only by music.
You can follow @jeffrey.parmentier on TikTok for more music-related content.