A High School Music Course for Your Fine Arts Credit Option
Schools that need a fine arts option for students who are not in band or choir can build that course from Music Complete – High School, a full Grades 9–12 curriculum in listening, analysis and theory. Whether it counts toward your graduation credit is your school's decision, so confirm with your counselor, registrar or district before you list it in the course catalog.
Review the curriculum →Music Complete – High School, from $149.90, gives schools a ready-made Grades 9–12 music course for students outside band and choir. It covers listening and analysis, theory from rhythm to harmonic progressions, and applying theory to listening, performance and composition, with assessments and answer keys. The curriculum itself does not grant credit; whether it fulfills a fine arts requirement is decided by your school or district.
The curriculum
Music Complete – High School, Grades 9–12
Start with the full curriculum. The other resources below are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
Music Complete – Ready-to-Use Curriculum for High School Music (Grades 9–12)
High School Music Complete Bundle | 15 Ready-to-Teach Units | Grades 9–12
Music History & Style Periods Bundle | Baroque, Classical, Romantic & Impressionism | 4 Complete Units | Grades 9–12
Music Complete – Ready-to-Use Curriculum for Middle School Music (Grades 6–8)
Teach-Life-Balance: The Complete Time-Saving Course for Teachers (incl. Planner, Guides & Templates)
The real problem
Building a credit-bearing course from scratch
Many high schools require a fine arts credit for graduation, and for years band, choir and visual art carried that load. Then the numbers stop working. Students who do not perform and do not want a studio art class still need the credit, counselors need somewhere to put them, and the music teacher gets asked to create a new course by next fall. Getting that course approved usually means a written description, clear content, and a way to show students are assessed on real learning. All of that has to exist before a single lesson is taught. The students are a mixed group: freshmen and seniors, some who quit band in middle school, some who have never read music, and some who see the class as a box to check. A course for them must be rigorous enough to defend as a fine arts credit and approachable enough that a non-musician can pass it by working, not by already having talent. Writing a full year of that alone, on top of ensemble duties, is a lot.
Why it fits
What the curriculum gives you to build on
It cannot get a course approved for you, but it supplies the content and assessment a proposal needs.
- Structured, sequenced units give you course content to describe in a course proposal.
- Listening and analysis across classical, film, jazz and contemporary music suit non-performers.
- Theory from notation to harmonic progressions shows academic content beyond appreciation.
- Applying theory to composition gives non-ensemble students a way to create music.
- Written and performance-based assessments give evidence of learning for grading.
- Increasing analytical depth across grades 9–12 lets one course serve mixed grades.
Getting started
From idea to a running course
A suggested path. Your school's approval steps come first and may look different.
- Ask what the credit requiresBefore buying, talk to your counselor, registrar or district office about what a fine arts course must include to count. Requirements vary, and they decide, not the curriculum.
- Review the product pageLook at what is included on the product page and compare it with those requirements. Note any areas your school expects that you would need to add.
- Draft the course descriptionUse the curriculum's content areas, listening and analysis, theory, and application to composition, as the backbone for your written course description. Keep it short and concrete.
- Choose your assessmentsPick the written and performance-based assessments you will use, so the course has clear grading before students enroll. Approval reviewers often ask about this. Include sample rubrics.
- Plan for audioBuild your recording library and check what playback equipment and streaming your school allows. The listening-heavy course depends on it, and nothing is included. Test it in the room.
Which version
Which option fits a new course
The base version at $149.90 with 50+ resources gives you the content for the course. The version at $189.90 adds Teach-Life-Balance, a separate time-saving course with a planner, guides and templates. It can help if building a new course lands on top of a full ensemble schedule, but it does not add music content. If your school wants a parallel option for middle school, Music Complete – Middle School follows the same structure, and TEACHMORE15 gives 15% off two or more Complete Curriculum packages.
Honest limits
What this curriculum cannot promise
Buying the curriculum does not make a course credit-bearing. Your school, district or state decides that, so confirm before you schedule it. It makes no claim to meet any state or fine arts requirement. No audio or video is included. If several teachers will teach the course, send Teach Lessons a short message first; questions about school purchasing can also go to them before you buy. If the material is not a fit, you can exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value. It is not a cash refund.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is it aligned with standards or approved for fine arts credit?
No. It does not claim approval, endorsement or alignment with any state standards, the National Core Arts Standards, or any credit requirement. It is written for U.S. high school classrooms. Whether a course built on it earns fine arts credit is decided by your school, district or state, so confirm with your counselor or registrar first.
Will students get a fine arts credit for this course?
That depends entirely on your school. The curriculum provides content and assessments; it does not grant credit. Ask your registrar or district what a fine arts course must include, then check the curriculum against those requirements before you put the course in the catalog. Get that answer in writing.
Is it rigorous enough for a credit course?
It covers listening and analysis of form, motifs, harmony and texture, theory through harmonic progressions, and application to composition, with analytical depth increasing across grades 9–12. Whether that meets your school's bar is for your school to judge after reviewing it. Bring sample units to that conversation.
Do students need to play an instrument?
No. The course centers on listening, analysis and theory. Theory is applied to performance and composition too, but students without ensemble experience can complete the work. That is the whole reason schools look for an option like this. Grading rests on analysis and effort, not on prior musical skill.
Can the school buy it for several teachers?
The licence covers the buyer's instructional use. Use within your team or school is possible after a short message to Teach Lessons. Questions about school purchasing or team use can also be sent to Teach Lessons before buying. Redistribution, resale and public posting of the files are not allowed, including on a school website.
Is there a version with more units?
The High School Music Complete Bundle (15 units, $129.99) and the Music History & Style Periods Bundle ($74.99) are separate products. Check their product pages to see whether either adds what your course proposal needs. Both are separate purchases from Music Complete – High School, and neither changes the credit question, which your school still decides.
Give non-performers a real music course
Review what is included on the product page, then confirm the credit question with your school.
Review the curriculum →