Middle School General Music Curriculum for International Schools Abroad
Music teachers at American and international schools abroad who need a U.S.-style general music course for grades 6–8 can download Music Complete – Middle School and have a full year of units the same day. No shipping, no customs, no waiting on a textbook order. Worksheets, slides and answer keys cover listening, theory, composing and assessment, written in English for students who may be learning it.
View the curriculum →Music Complete – Middle School, from $149.90, is a digital general music curriculum for grades 6–8 that suits international schools following an American model. Access is instant, so a teacher abroad avoids shipping delays. It covers music from many genres and cultures, theory from notation to basic harmony, composing and performance tasks, and differentiated assessments. Schools should confirm with their own leadership or accreditor how it fits their program, since no endorsement is claimed.
The curriculum
Music Complete – Middle School, Grades 6–8
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 Middle School Music (Grades 6–8)
Music Complete – Ready-to-Use Curriculum for High School Music (Grades 9–12)
Music History & Style Periods Bundle | Baroque, Classical, Romantic & Impressionism | 4 Complete Units | Grades 9–12
Teach-Life-Balance: The Complete Time-Saving Course for Teachers (incl. Planner, Guides & Templates)
The real problem
Teaching U.S.-style general music far from a U.S. supplier
You were hired to run a middle school music course modeled on an American school, but you live somewhere a music education catalog cannot reach quickly. Ordering printed materials means weeks of shipping, import fees, and the risk that boxes arrive after the semester starts. Local publishers sell books built around a different national curriculum and often in a different language. Meanwhile your class list is a map of the world. Some students come from families who move every two years and have had three music teachers on three continents. Some speak English as a second or third language, so dense terminology like 'meter' or 'interval' needs clear visuals and repetition. Students also bring very different musical traditions with them, and a course that treats Western classical music as the only real music will lose half the room. You need material that arrives instantly, explains theory step by step in accessible English, and gives space for music from many cultures alongside film scores, pop, jazz and the orchestra. You also need it to hold together when students arrive and leave mid-year, which is normal for a transient international community.
Why it fits
Why it works well in an international school
Several features address the realities of teaching music abroad directly.
- Instant digital access means your course is ready even if you were hired two weeks before term.
- Listening units span genres and cultures, giving students room to connect music from home.
- A strand on music, identity and media fits classes made up of many nationalities.
- Step-by-step theory and differentiated worksheets support English learners in the same class as native speakers.
- Units also work individually, so a student arriving in February can join a unit cleanly.
- Files print locally or run on screens, which suits schools with one-to-one devices.
Getting started
Setting it up from abroad
Here is one way to go from download to a running course, with the distance in mind.
- Download and store it on school drivesAfter purchase the link arrives by email and the files stay in your account under Orders. Save a copy where you can reach it on campus, in case internet access is slow.
- Build a vocabulary wall firstPull the core terms from the early theory units, such as tempo, meter and motif, and post them with simple visuals. English learners will lean on it all year.
- Open with the identity strandAsk students to bring a song from home and use the music, culture and meaning lessons to discuss it. It builds trust in a new, mixed class.
- Gather your own recordingsNo audio is included, so list the listening examples you need and source them through streaming or your school library. Check what plays reliably in your region.
- Plan for mid-year arrivalsMark which units stand alone well. When a new student joins, start them at the next unit boundary and give them a short theory review worksheet.
Which version
Choosing a version for your school
Starter, at $149.90 with 50+ resources, is enough for a regular year of middle school general music. Extended, at $199.90 with 90+ resources, gives you more differentiated material, which can help in classes with wide differences in English or musical background. Pro, at $239.90, includes Teach-Life-Balance, a digital time-saving course with a planner and templates. It is optional, and worth it mainly if you are also running ensembles or after-school activities and need help organizing your week. If you teach both middle and high school music, buying both curricula with TEACHMORE15 saves 15%.
Honest limits
What it does not do
No recordings or video are included, so you supply listening examples in a way that works in your country. The course is written for U.S. classrooms and does not replace any host-country or IB requirement your school may also follow. Confirm with your principal or curriculum coordinator how it fits your program and any accreditation your school holds. Using it across a department needs a short message to Teach Lessons first. If it does not suit you, there is a 7-day option to exchange it for store credit of equal value, not a cash refund.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Will this meet our school's accreditation or U.S. standards requirements?
Teach Lessons does not claim that it does. The curriculum is not endorsed or certified by any standards body or accreditor. It is written for U.S. middle school general music classrooms, which makes it a natural match for American-model schools, but your curriculum coordinator should compare it with whatever framework your accreditation review expects.
Is the English accessible for students learning the language?
The materials are written for U.S. middle schoolers, so they are not simplified for beginners in English. The differentiated worksheets help, since you can give lighter versions where needed. Pairing the slides with a vocabulary wall and some first-language discussion usually helps English learners keep up with theory terms.
Do I need anything shipped to me?
No. Everything is digital. You get a download link by email right after purchase, and the files are also in your customer account under Orders. You print locally or project the slides. Instruments, recordings and any music software are things your school already has or arranges.
Does it only cover Western classical music?
No. Listening units draw on genres and cultures from classical, film, pop, rock and jazz to contemporary music, and a separate strand looks at music, identity and everyday life. That gives you a framework for bringing in the musical traditions of your students and your host country with your own examples.
Can I preview it before buying from overseas?
Yes. The product page shows a browser preview of three sample documents: Music in the Orchestra – Instruments, Sound Art & Experimental Music, and Joseph Haydn – Biography & Works. You can view them from anywhere with an internet connection. Sharing the link with your principal is an easy way to agree on the purchase before term.
Our school wants several music teachers to share it. Is that allowed?
Use within your own teaching team or school is possible, but send Teach Lessons a short message first to describe your situation. You can also ask any questions about school purchasing at the same time, before you buy. Posting the files publicly or sharing them with other schools is not allowed.
Start the year with your music course in hand
Open the product page to view the sample documents and pick a version. Your files arrive by email wherever you are.
View the curriculum →