Music Education Standards & Curriculum
At all ages students learn about music through creating, performing, responding, and connecting, in accordance with Minnesota Academic Standards and National Core Arts Standards. Some of the content covered includes the basics of music theory, how to play instruments, developing singing voices (even bandies!), and learning about the vast history of music.
​ Music incorporates all subjects, especially math, language, science, reading, and history. Students additionally gain awareness and understanding of the 21st Century Skills employers seek in their applicants, and are introduced to how music connects our world from the past, to the present, and to the future. ​
FINAL Minnesota 2018 K-12 Academic Standards in the Arts 111220 (November 2020) (003).xlsxStandards by Grade Level-MUSIC-draft 3.pdf
How to read the standards:
Below is an image with broken down and labeled parts of the standard-posters.
There are six sections in the state's documentation, as follows:
Grade - what grade(s) in school these standards should be referenced and/or met/completed by.
Strand - the sections of the learning process:
understand (foundation)
know/recall (foundation)
create/make/[perform] (artistic process)
respond/critique/[revise] (artistic process)
Standard - Or "anchor standard," the main idea that should be covered.
Arts - which of the fine arts areas the standard should be taught in (Music, Visual Art, Theatre, Dance, Media)
Code - unique number associated with each benchmark for ease of referencing.
Benchmark - the slightly more specific info. about what should be covered through teaching the standard.
Minnesota Music Standards were recently reviewed due to changes in national requirements. So, these standards and benchmarks mentioned below are those from 2008/revised 2014.
Anchor Standards
"Anchor Standards" are the foundation, or framework, of all of the standards throughout different grades and classes. The different grades and class sections standards primarily are only different in the difficulty of content, so these are more vague and general than those of other grades.