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To Kill a Mockingbird Music Power Playlist

Shaun Barrowes

Updated: 5 hours ago

Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the most beloved literary classics, filled with powerful themes and unforgettable moments. To deepen your connection with the story, I’ve curated a To Kill a Mockingbird Music playlist—featuring pieces that complement the novel’s emotional highs and lows.


These selections enhance the reading experience, helping readers, teachers, and students resonate more deeply with the book’s themes while making key scenes more memorable. Some choices may be a bit "on the nose," offering moments of lightheartedness—especially in a classroom setting—but they also serve as effective memory aids.


This list is just a starting point. Feel free to mix and match or create your own musical pairings for a truly immersive experience.



1. Jem and Scout’s First Encounter with Dill

Theme: Childhood wonder, curiosity, and adventure

  • "Morning Mood" – Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 (Edvard Grieg)

  • "The Adventures of Mutt" – Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (John Williams)

  • "On the Trail" – Grand Canyon Suite (Ferde Grofé)

  • "Scherzo for Motorcycle and Orchestra" – Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (John Williams)

  • "The Farm" – Road to Perdition (Thomas Newman)

2. Atticus Shooting the Rabid Dog

Theme: Tension, solemn duty, and quiet heroism

  • "Mars, the Bringer of War" – The Planets (Gustav Holst)

  • "The Ecstasy of Gold" – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Ennio Morricone)

  • "The Omen" – To Kill a Mockingbird (Elmer Bernstein)

  • "Procession of the Nobles" – (Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov)

  • "Gabriel’s Oboe" – The Mission (Ennio Morricone)

3. Atticus Defending Tom Robinson in Court

Theme: Passion, justice, and an uphill battle against prejudice

  • "Adagio for Strings" – (Samuel Barber)

  • "The People’s House" – Lincoln (John Williams)

  • "Nimrod" – Enigma Variations (Edward Elgar)

  • "Anakin’s Betrayal" – Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (John Williams)

  • "The Place Where Dreams Come True" – Field of Dreams (James Horner)

  • "Weehawken Ferry"Cinderella Man (Thomas Newman)

4. Tom Robinson’s Guilty Verdict

Theme: Devastation, injustice, and loss of innocence

  • "Auschwitz-Birkenau" – Schindler’s List (John Williams)

  • "Road to Perdition" (Main Theme) Road to Perdition (Thomas Newman)

  • "Funeral March" – Piano Sonata No. 2 (Frédéric Chopin)

  • "The Breaking of the Fellowship" – The Lord of the Rings (Howard Shore)

  • "Gollum’s Song" – The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Howard Shore)

5. Tom Robinson’s Death

Theme: Desperation, hopelessness, and grief

  • "The Gravel Road" – The Village (James Newton Howard)

  • "Lacrimosa" – Requiem (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)

  • "Panoramic" – The Book of Eli (Atticus Ross)

  • "Dante’s Prayer" – (Loreena McKennitt)

  • "Hymn to the Fallen" – Saving Private Ryan (John Williams)

  • "Samuel’s Death" – Legends of the Fall (James Horner)

6. The Ladies’ Hypocrisy in the Missionary Circle

Theme: Irony, frustration, and quiet rage

  • "Danse Macabre" – (Camille Saint-Saëns)

  • "Tarantella" – (W.A. Mozart)

  • "The Grand Waltz" – Anna Karenina (Dario Marianelli)

  • "The March of the Resistance" – Star Wars: The Force Awakens (John Williams)

  • "Wicked Witch Theme" – The Wizard of Oz (Herbert Stothart)

7. Bob Ewell’s Attack on Scout and Jem

Theme: Fear, suspense, and impending danger

  • "The Imperial March" – Star Wars (John Williams)

  • "The Chase" – The Night of the Hunter (Walter Schumann)

  • "Dies Irae" – (Giuseppe Verdi)

  • "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" – (J.S. Bach)

  • "Psycho Suite" – (Bernard Herrmann)

8. Boo Radley Saving the Children

Theme: Shock, revelation, and salvation

  • "Rise" – The Dark Knight Rises (Hans Zimmer)

  • "Saving Mr. Banks" (Main Theme) – Saving Mr. Banks (Thomas Newman)

  • "I’m Forrest… Forrest Gump" – Forrest Gump (Alan Silvestri)

  • "The Ride of the Rohirrim" – The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Howard Shore)

  • "Freedom/The Execution Bannockburn" – Braveheart (James Horner)

9. Scout Meeting Boo Radley

Theme: Awe, empathy, and bittersweet realization

  • "The Green Mile" - The Green Mile (Thomas Newman)

  • "Song for Bob" – The Assassination of Jesse James (Nick Cave & Warren Ellis)

  • "The Shire" – The Lord of the Rings (Howard Shore)

  • "Deborah’s Theme" – Once Upon a Time in America (Ennio Morricone)

  • "Farewell" – Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Tan Dun)

  • "Un Sospiro" – (Franz Liszt)

10. Scout’s Reflection at the End

Theme: Maturity, nostalgia, and closure

  • "The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra" – (Benjamin Britten)

  • "Time" – Inception (Hans Zimmer)

  • "A Lannister Always Pays His Debts" – Game of Thrones (Ramin Djawadi)

  • "Ave Maria" – (Franz Schubert)

  • "Memory" – The Road (Nick Cave & Warren Ellis)




To Kill a Mockingbird Music



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