Fundamental notation, instrumental proficiency, and vocal techniques across various genres. Connects historical analysis with original composition and creative performance skills.
A 30-minute introduction to sight reading in 6/8 time and the key of E-flat major, focusing on the feeling of compound meter and navigating three flats.
Reflect on the legacy of jazz, its influence on modern music like Hip Hop, and its status as a global art form.
Learn about the fast, complex sounds of Bebop and the cool innovations of Miles Davis that changed music forever.
Step into the dance halls of the 1930s and 40s to experience the power of the Big Band Era and the elegance of Duke Ellington.
Follow the Great Migration to Chicago and meet the first superstars of jazz, including the legendary Louis Armstrong.
Discover how the emotional depth of the Blues and the syncopated energy of Ragtime provided the foundation for jazz.
Explore the cultural melting pot of New Orleans and the African rhythms of Congo Square that birthed jazz music.
A block-building music lesson where students 'craft' rhythms, 'survive' rapid direction changes, and explore Orff percussion through a pixelated world theme. Includes singing, dancing, and body percussion activities.
A high-energy, low-pressure 15-minute music lesson designed to engage disengaged students and build vocal confidence through rhythm and stealth games. This lesson moves from non-verbal rhythmic games to collective vocalizing to bypass the fear of singing.
A music lesson where students compose and perform a new verse for 'Going Green Song' about environmental issues in their own school.
A fun, interactive music lesson where students use a balloon analogy to understand how vocal folds create different pitches and how breath control changes volume. Includes a slide presentation, a comprehensive teacher guide, and a student activity sheet.
Students explore how sound effects and vocal performance transform written text. They will analyze a Khan Academy video and then work in groups to act as 'Soundscape Directors,' annotating and recording a literary excerpt with their own audio design.
A Pre-K lesson exploring musical dynamics through the lens of a gentle lullaby. Students practice 'playground' and 'naptime' voices, watch a soothing kitten video, and sing the ABCs at different volumes and tempos.
A high-energy Pre-K lesson that helps students distinguish between singing and speaking voices using the 'Alphabet Song' and interactive vocal play.
A high-energy 1st-grade lesson that uses music and rhythm to build alphabet fluency and phonological awareness. Students will analyze the 'ABC Party' video and collaborate to create their own rhythmic remixes of the alphabet.
A high-energy Kindergarten lesson where students build confidence in their alphabet knowledge through a music-video-inspired performance activity. Students watch a rap video, practice vocal warm-ups, and perform the ABCs in groups using microphones and sunglasses.
A fun, interactive lesson for Pre-K and Kindergarten students to identify the color brown and recognize the sight word 'brown' through music, movement, and a 'detective' hunt.
A high-energy Kindergarten lesson using music and rhythm sticks to explore the beat of the alphabet and improve language fluency.
A high-energy musical lesson where Pre-K students use instruments to explore the alphabet through a reggae rhythm. Students practice auditory recall and beat-keeping while distinguishing between song sections.
A workshop for Pre-K parents focused on using high-energy music and rhythm to boost letter recognition through daily routines and interactive singing.
A comprehensive rhythm project where students review fundamental rhythm values (quarter, eighth, sixteenth, half, whole notes and rests) through interactive games and a final composition project called the 'Groove Blueprint'.
A project-based lesson for middle school students to learn fundamental composition techniques, including melody writing, harmonic support, and arranging for classroom instruments. Students will apply these skills to create and perform an original short piece.
A high-energy rhythm lesson for 3rd graders exploring quarter notes, eighth notes, and rests through a jungle safari theme. Students learn to read, perform, and compose rhythms using animal-inspired movements and percussion.
An interactive, game-based lesson where students use body percussion to perform quarter notes, eighth notes, and quarter rests at varying tempos.
An introductory lesson to the chromatic scale that breaks down the 12-tone system, enharmonic equivalents, and provides instrument-specific practice for 7th and 8th grade musicians.
A foundational laboratory-themed lesson for 6th-grade beginner woodwinds focusing on rhythm data counting, tonguing chemistry, and applying posture 'protocols' to three instrumental experiments.
Students explore global rhythmic patterns, instruments, and cultural significance through listening, collaborative drumming, and research.
A lesson tracing the cultural origins and evolution of American music genres from Indigenous traditions to modern Hip-Hop. Students will analyze the 'parents' of various musical styles and collaborate to build a visual genealogy of American sound.
A multi-sensory exploration of Impressionism, connecting the visual brushstrokes of Claude Monet with the auditory 'atmospheric' compositions of Claude Debussy. Students analyze historical context before creating their own musical-inspired artwork.
A cross-curricular lesson for Music and Social Studies exploring music as a universal language that transcends cultural and linguistic boundaries. Students analyze clips from diverse global traditions to understand how rhythm, melody, and instrumentation communicate complex emotions and cultural values.
A high school music appreciation lesson exploring the transition from Classical precision to Romantic passion through listening labs and historical context.
A 2nd grade music and science integration lesson where students investigate how vibrations produce sound and classify musical instruments by their vibrating parts.
Students explore the concept of tempo and rhythm through a catchy song about the solar system, using rhythm sticks to match shifting speeds.
A fun, musical lesson for Pre-K students to develop phonemic awareness and rhythm by clapping and using rhythm sticks to the 'Alphabet Song'.
Students work in small groups to 'curate' a stage for a world music festival. They select a region, choose instruments to feature, and explain why that music is unique.
In this culminating lesson, students learn what a conductor does to unify the orchestra. They practice basic conducting patterns and understand how tempo and expression are communicated without words.
Students apply what they've learned by creating a classroom percussion circle where individuals take turns 'soloing' over a steady beat, applying the concept of improvisation.
Students listen to the drumming and singing styles of Native American tribes. They discuss the importance of the drum as the 'heartbeat' and the preservation of culture through powwow music.
Students look at larger jazz ensembles, identifying the sections (saxophones, trumpets, trombones, rhythm). They learn how many musicians play together while still allowing for solos.
Students debate the future of music history, looking at streaming, AI composition, and bedroom production, analyzing how digital tools change the creation and distribution of music.
Students study the lives and music of Mozart and Beethoven. They compare the light, structured sounds of the Classical period with the dramatic emotional shifts of the early Romantic period.
Students investigate the wind and percussion instruments of South America, such as panpipes and maracas, and explore the connection between music and dance in Latin American cultures.
Students explore vocal improvisation through scat singing—using the voice as an instrument with nonsense syllables. They practice call-and-response scat patterns.
Synthesize knowledge by categorizing mystery musical excerpts into the correct historical era. Students will use specific vocabulary to justify their choices in a 'Time Machine' game.
Students investigate the origins of Hip-Hop and the revolutionary technique of sampling, discussing the artistic and legal implications of repurposing existing audio to create new music.
Students explore the power and rhythm of the brass and percussion sections. The lesson focuses on dynamics (loud/soft) and the role of percussion in keeping the heartbeat of the orchestra.
Examine how 20th-century composers like Debussy used 'colors' and dissonance to break traditional rules. Students will experiment with whole-tone scales and auditory analysis.
Students explore the introduction of synthesizers and drum machines in the 70s and 80s, learning about waveforms and how electricity can be used to design completely new sounds.
This lesson introduces the Pentatonic scale (5-note scale) common in traditional Chinese and Japanese music. Students listen to string instruments like the Koto or Erhu and compare them to the violin.
Focusing specifically on strings and woodwinds, students examine the variation in pitch and timbre within these families. They listen to 'Peter and the Wolf' to hear how specific instruments represent characters.
A cumulative review where students synthesize their knowledge to build a complete timeline of music history. They categorize genres by their technological and musical characteristics.
A focus on Louis Armstrong as a vocalist and trumpeter. Students learn about the role of the soloist in jazz and how personality shines through instrumental music.
Students deconstruct modern pop songs to find the 'Verse-Chorus' pattern. They use a 'Song Sandwich' analogy to understand how most modern music is structured.
An introduction to the digital age of music, where students explore synthesizers and drum machines from the 1980s. They compare electronic sounds with traditional acoustic instruments.
A music and science integration lesson where students analyze animal classifications and write their own verses for the 'Animal Song' using AABB rhyme schemes.
Students explore how the brain uses patterns and expectations to process music, learning about the 'tonic' and 'resolution' through a rhythmic composition game.
A music and literacy lesson where elementary students learn about musical resolution by connecting it to narrative arcs in stories. Students will use the concept of the 'tonic' note to create soundscapes for specific story prompts.
A fun, interactive lesson for K-1 students exploring how breaking patterns and 'interrupters' create humor, featuring the Scratch Garden 'Spelling the Numbers' song.
A culminating lesson where students compare musical celebrations from the cultures studied, synthesizing their understanding of music's role in global traditions.
Introduction to the Sitar and the concept of a 'drone' note in Indian classical music, focusing on listening endurance and harmonic texture.
