Explore music through the decades with an engaging video brought to you by the 5-part harmony acapella group, Pentatonix. Genuine musical talents sing through a variety of popular music from the 11th century to the 2010's. Artists...

Explore the world through music with two lessons that bring focus to four composers—Gabriela Lena Frank, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Bedrř˘ich Smetana, and Mason Bates. After listening to musical pieces and viewing informative videos, scholars...

The introduction to Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake and the finale of his Symphony No. 4 provide young musicians with an opportunity to investigate the music elements composers employ to develop the themes they want to create. They compare the...

Imagine being commissioned to compose a work for a huge celebration that should be exciting and patriotic. A work that would commemorate a dramatic battle victory. What instruments would you use? What melodies to tell the tale and echo...

Imagine a concert that combines rock and opera. Think Queen and Mozart, or Journey and Beethoven. Think vocalists, a 5-piece rock band, a choir of 40, and an orchestra of 20. Imagine seeing such a show. Don't stop believing!

What sound does a piccolo make? What's the difference between a violin and viola? What family does a timpani belong to? Take a tour through the different sections of an orchestra with an interactive reference tool.

Channel the masters with an interactive music composition activity! Learners use the online tool to create their own masterpieces one measure at a time.

Young musicians learn more about the greats with a straightforward activity on historical composers. As they click through a navigation guide, they choose a musical time period and a composer from that period before taking a short quiz.

Is your music appreciation class feeling a bit adagio this afternoon? Pick up the pace and get them feeling andante with a straightforward music theory activity. After defining several terms for musical dynamics and musical tempos,...

Is concertmaster another term for conductor, or is he or she another person entirely? Learn the specifics of the role of concertmaster with an activity focused on classical music. After learners define the term, they select a piece of...

Different pieces of music can elicit different emotions from audience members. A quick tempo can make you feel happy, while a largo piece may bring out a melancholy temperament. Elementary musicians learn more about the instruments and...

What song is playing? A music activity focuses on composers throughout history, their famous works, and the instruments in each piece. As pupils complete the learning exercise they play a short game to review music theory terms.

Are the instruments in Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in the same family as those in George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue? Elementary musicians work on their music theory and their instrumental ear as they listen to clips of famous...

Take a quick tour through the last 350 years of music composition with an interactive timeline tool. As learners scroll through the years, they see which composers were born and working during the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern...

How many of the world's greatest composers were born in Austria? Or Germany? Or the United States? An interactive map provides young musicians with information about prominent composers in the last few centuries, as well as the periods...

Why does music affect people so deeply? Explore how music impacts the human brain through a video from the American Chemical Society's Reactions series. The narrator discusses the anticipatory elements in different styles of music and...

Expose young elementary students to the works of one of the greatest musical composers, Ludwig van Beethoven. Using three progressive lesson plans to complete the unit, class members are able to distinguish low and high sounds, count the...

Gustav Holst's The Planets provide young musicians an opportunity to examine how composers can create a suite: a collection of smaller pieces grouped to explore a single topic. After listening to "Jupiter," they examine "Mars" in detail,...

Math will resonate with your young artists and musicians when they learn that a mathematical formula describes a musical sound that is pleasing to our ears. Beethoven uses the certainty of mathematics to convey emotion and creativity. In...

Imagine being deaf and still being able to compose music. So it was with Ludwig van Beethoven, the subject of this mini biography that outlines the major achievements of this remarkable man's life.

This may be a lot to ask of a high schooler, but then again, who knows? Pupils work in groups to explore, write, and then perform an original opera. They view versions of The Magic Flute and La Traviata, then compose a plot, characters,...

Make your class musically and culturally literate. They'll listen to and discuss three types of music styles indicative of three different cultures. They'll identify characteristics and instruments used in western, traditional, and...

Classical period music is defined by its characteristics and distinctive sound. A set of notes assists upper graders in recalling and analyzing music from the classical period based on musical terminology. An example analysis of Eine...

Peter and the Wolf is a wonderful piece that introduces learners to classical music, builds listening skills, and creates a bridge from song to imagination. Each slide shows a picture of one of the characters from the story and a group...