Music & Band
Resources

Wasting time reinventing the wheel doesn’t just drain our energy—it keeps us from moving forward, trying new things, and focusing on what really matters: supporting & engaging students.

Here are some activities that have worked in my own classroom—hopefully they’ll spark ideas, save you time, or offer a fresh twist you can make your own.

Please note - these activities are those that were successful in my class - band or music - whether students loved them, important conversations developed, or they led to skills being developed.

Many of the activities can be modified to suit instrumental music or classroom music.

Feel free to make a copy and customize to your teaching style or what would work for your students.
Do contact me if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions! MFergMusic1@gmail.com

★ Instrumental Music Resources ★

Elements of Music for Band

Intro to Elements of Music
Generally, this information is learned during rehearsals. However, some students do well having it described separately, and this could be a good lesson when a non-music substitute teacher is in for you.

Either done as a lesson with student participation, or an intro of each topic then students can explore further in listening lab format (each team with access to the slideshow and ability to hear the musical examples.

Elements of Music Slideshow

Worksheet could be provided at the beginning - put students into pairs or groups of 3 to discuss each concept, then fill in their personal anchor chart to be kept in their binder. Electronic or written by hand.
Elements of Music Personal Anchor Chart

Homework Sheets - Tracking what's for next class

To help students stay organized for important dates, what to work on, and when to bring their instruments for next class, I created these different homework sheets that go in the front of their band binder. At the end of class, I give them time to write down what is on the board.

Homework Sheet - Portrait
The original. Most students prefer this one.

Homework Sheet - Landscape
Some students prefer to have more days per page with longer cells to write.

Homework Sheet - "Flexible" Rows
Students with big writing or are concerned with fitting all information in the cells of the first two prefer this version - they draw their own line once the info is recorded.

Posters

Celebrities Who Played in School Band
These are very basic posters - to be updated at some point. If you know of any more that I don't have who today's students would know, please send the information my way! MFergMusic1@gmail.com

Worksheets re: Practicing

Practice Plan Link
Teaching students to target a touch bar as well as how to improve specific skills.
Original concept from the book Powerful Tools for Student Evaluation: A Practical Source for Authentic Assessment Strategies for Music Teachers (2000) by Frances Farrell.

What to do:

Explicitly use the Practice Plan in a few rehearsals, targeting different elements of music to demonstrate the steps musicians take to improve different issues
Demonstrate how to fill out the Practice Plan and provide students independent practice time to complete their first one
Provide feedback on the first one, assign additional Plans as desired
For high school, I usually assigned 2 - 4 per semester.
For middle school, I usually assign a few early in the school year, then 2 before a band trip or music festival

Practice Chart - Early In The Year Link
Fill in the calendar dates, edit to suit your program. This one is set up to help develop good practice habits.

Practice Chart - Next Link
After 2 months of the chart above, I use this one. Fill in the calendar dates, edit to suit your program. Still including how to organize a practice session.

Bandleship Practice Chart Link
A fun, gamified way to motivate students to spend time on their instruments outside class time.

*Perfect for class competitions / band Olympics: either by class average number of minutes practiced or by number of instruments "found."

What to do:

The week or so before a new month, set up one of the 2 charts linked above, copy it for students or put online for them to access electronically.
Then, you make a copy and "hide" the instruments (see photo). I even secure that *classified* document in an envelop on the wall with "Top Secret" on the front.
Decide if there will be a competition for average amount of minutes per month, what qualifies to "count" (I do not count band class, I do count extra curricular ensembles and time practiced at lunch or at home.)
Decide if you are going to award prizes.
Announce your excitement for Bandleship, rules, and fire up your musicians!

★ Classroom Music Resources ★

Amazing Race - Folk Music From Around the World

Student research project about music from countries around the world.
Put up a map for students to show where their country is found during their presentation.

Links to Resources:

Optional Super Fun Addition:
Depending on time and class sizes, in my Sociology 12 class, students designed a competitive game that represented their country in some way. 500 points could be awarded, team decided how they should be split up. Team hosting was ineligible to play. This turned out to be very creative and super fun for the classes - AND - they were very likely to remember the link to the country because of the game.

Performance-based Activities in Music

Intro to Bucket Drumming

A popular activity with many of my music classes.
I've collated a series of "how to" videos to learn basic rhythms. Once a foundation of skills is set, classes choose a song to arrange bucket drumming play along. This is described in the slideshow.

Intro to Bucket Drumming Link

Intro to Beatboxing

Series of videos from YouTube that students enjoyed trying. some examples of instrumentalists beatboxing while playing their instrument!

How to Beatbox Link

Elements of Music

Info & Activity-based Learning

Prior to our composition events, this is overview of the Elements of Music includes a variety of activities to have students experience the elements separately, then culminating events and review games.

There is certainly room for more active learning throughout - I add more each year.

Slideshow Elements of Music

Texture vs. Sandwich Comparison

Melody / Harmony Signs

Frozen vs. Frozen Culminating Activity

Elements Signs for Review or Tracking Elements covered so far

Final Texture Discussion Slides