Music National Content Standard #4

Find great ideas for helping students create their own musical compositions with these lesson plans and references. These resources support the National Music Standard #4: "Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines." Students can make up their own harmony, create short syncopated rhythms, devise a composition using various instruments, and much more! The resources below include activities appropriate for elementary, intermediate, and high school music classes.

References Technology Strategies -- National Music Standard #4 Incorporate technology with music education. These student activities and teacher strategies explain how to use software programs to assist students with composing music. Connecting Standards with Orchestral Performances A discussion and strategies for integrating the Standards into orchestra rehearsals. Lesson Plans Arranging and Improvising with *NSYNC Arrange and improvise music using the popular music of *NSYNC. Can You Hear a Story? Students will explore creating moods with music, analyze a story, and the create a musical composition that reflects and enhances the story. Interactive Timeline Students will explore ragtime music and gain an understanding of its development in relation to jazz. They will also investigate the historical events during the time the genre evolved. Creating Opera Work with students to improvise dialogue (speaking and singing), music, and scenery to turn a story into an emotional performance.

Tap Your Feet Students will practice following a pattern and become familiar with the concept of beat in music. They will be introduced to tempo. They will gain experience playing the beat on non-pitched rhythm instruments, at various tempos. This activity will culminate in the creation of a rhythm piece. Related Resources National Standards for Music Education Incorporate the nine National Standards for Music Education into your curriculum. Use these resources to teach students in grades K-12 about singing, instruments, music composition, and much more! Music Resources for Teachers Bring some music into your classroom with lessons and printables! Celebrate Music in Our Schools Month in March, or enjoy music on a regular basis with your students. Strategies for Music Education Discover great teaching strategies for music education. Help young children learn about singing, instruments, and music composition by incorporating these lessons and techniques in your classroom.

Provided in partnership with MENC