What should a middle school general music curriculum include?
What should a middle school general music curriculum include?
A middle school general music curriculum should include four strands that build across Grades 6–8: listening and analysis, music theory foundations, music in culture and media, and creating and performing. Assessment and differentiation run through all four. This page covers why general music in middle school is hard to plan, what each strand looks like in class, a sample sequence and a complete ready-made option.
See Music Complete – MSA strong middle school general music curriculum includes listening and analysis across genres and cultures, practical theory such as notation, rhythm, meter, scales and chords, the role of music in identity, film and media, and creating through composing, arranging and simple performance. Each strand returns in Grades 6, 7 and 8 with more depth. Assessment should mix performance tasks, short written work and rubrics, with differentiated tasks for students with very different experience.
Ready-made material
Music Complete – Middle School, Grades 6–8
The first cover is the main resource; the others are related options. 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)
Elementary Art & Music Units Bundle | Rhythm, Singing, Instruments, Color Mixing & Printing | 5 Units | Grades 3–5
Teach-Life-Balance: The Complete Time-Saving Course for Teachers (incl. Planner, Guides & Templates)
Why it is hard
Why middle school general music is hard to plan
General music in middle school sits in an awkward spot. Students arrive from elementary programs that differ widely, so one sixth grader reads notation and plays piano while the next has never seen a staff. Most have private music lives full of streaming playlists, video game soundtracks and short clips, and they decide quickly whether a class respects that or ignores it. A course built only on theory worksheets loses them in a week. One built only on their favorite songs never gets past opinion. Teachers also inherit awkward formats. General music may be a nine-week wheel, a semester or a full year, and the same teacher may run choir or band too, with little time left to write lessons. Classes often include students who did not choose music, which pushes teachers toward safe activities like videos and fill-in sheets. The result is a course without a spine: units that do not build on each other, theory that never gets used and listening that stays at I like it or it's boring. A good curriculum fixes this by giving every strand a purpose students can feel.
What works
The core strands, in classroom terms
Each strand below should show up every term, even in a short wheel course, so students see how listening, theory and creating feed each other.
- Listening and analysis: compare genres and cultures, describing form, motifs, dynamics and tempo with real vocabulary.
- Theory foundations: notation, rhythm, meter, scales, intervals and basic chords, always tied to music students hear.
- Music and meaning: how music shapes identity, film scenes, advertising and everyday life.
- Program and absolute music: contrast music that tells a story with music that does not.
- Creating and performing: compose, improvise and arrange in groups, with classroom-scale performances and presentations.
- Assessment: rubrics for performances and projects, short written checks and differentiated tasks for mixed experience.
Step by step
A sample sequence for one grade
This outline fits a semester and can be compressed for a nine-week wheel. Repeat the pattern in Grades 7 and 8 with harder repertoire and deeper analysis.
- Unit 1: Listening with purposeStart with film and game music students know. Teach dynamics, tempo, texture and timbre as tools for describing what they hear, and build a shared listening vocabulary on the wall.
- Unit 2: Rhythm and meterRead and write rhythms in 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4, link them to songs from several genres and finish with a group body percussion piece performed for the class.
- Unit 3: Melody, scales and chordsIntroduce major and minor scales, intervals and the three primary chords. Students hear how a chord change shifts mood and analyze a simple pop chord progression.
- Unit 4: Music, culture and mediaCompare music from different cultures and periods, examine how film scores guide emotion and discuss what the music people choose says about identity, using examples students bring from home.
- Unit 5: Create and presentGroups compose or arrange a short piece, with digital tools if your school has them, and present it with a brief explanation of their musical choices.
Ready-made option
A full middle school music curriculum, ready to teach
Music Complete – Middle School (Grades 6–8) is organized around the same strands: listening and analysis across classical, film, pop, rock, jazz and contemporary music; theory foundations from notation to basic harmony; music, culture and meaning; creating and performing; and assessment with rubrics and differentiated tasks. The units build across Grades 6–8 and work as a full sequence or one unit at a time. Starter (50+ resources) is $149.90, Extended (90+) is $199.90, and Pro adds the Teach-Life-Balance course for $239.90. If you also teach high school, Music Complete – High School starts at $149.90, and code TEACHMORE15 takes 15% off two or more Complete Curriculum packages.
Honest limits
Where your own planning still matters
The curriculum gives you structured lessons, slides, worksheets and assessments, but not instruments, software or a performance program. You choose repertoire that fits your students and decide how much time each strand gets in your schedule. Compare the units with your state's music standards or the National Core Arts Standards and add any required topics, since the store claims no alignment. The license covers your own classes; a department sharing it needs a short message to Teach Lessons first. You can exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value, which is not a cash refund.
Good to know
More teacher questions
How is general music different from band or choir?
Band and choir focus on performing a repertoire well. General music is for every student, including those who do not play or sing, and balances listening, theory, cultural context and creating. Performance still has a place, but at classroom scale: group rhythm pieces, short arrangements and presentations rather than concerts.
What if my course is only nine weeks long?
Keep all four strands but shorten each one. A nine-week wheel can run two weeks of listening, two of rhythm and notation, two of music and media and three of a creating project that pulls them together. Pick fewer topics and go deeper rather than touching everything once.
How do I teach students with very different music backgrounds?
Differentiate by task, not by group label. Give experienced students harder roles, such as writing a bass line or leading a section, and give beginners clear scaffolds such as rhythm cards or chord charts. Composition projects work well because everyone can contribute at their own level.
Should I use pop music in class?
Yes, with care. Pop, film and game music are strong entry points for analysis, since students already know how the songs feel. Screen lyrics before class, use the familiar piece to teach a concept such as verse-chorus form or a chord progression, then apply it to less familiar music.
Does Music Complete – Middle School match state music standards?
The store makes no alignment claim for any state or national standards. Listening, theory, culture and creating are common in middle school music, but your state's wording and required content may differ. Check the units against your state's music standards or the National Core Arts Standards and add what is missing.
Which version of Music Complete should I buy?
Starter ($149.90) has 50+ resources and is enough for many single-grade courses. Extended ($199.90) has 90+ resources, which helps if you teach general music in all three grades. Pro ($239.90) adds the Teach-Life-Balance course with a planner and templates, useful if workload is as much the problem as content.
Give your music course a spine
Sketch the four strands for your year, then decide which units you write yourself and which you bring in ready-made.
See Music Complete – MS