New Genres of Music Unit with Student Projects
The brand-new Genres of Music unit on MusicplayOnline gives you everything you need to explore different musical styles and help students connect music to their own lives. Inside, you’ll find introduction activities, listening and analysis tasks, worksheets, project options, projectables, rubrics, and more!
This week, we’ll walk you through the basics of using this unit in your classroom.
Introduction to Popular Genres
In this section, students explore different musical genres and connect them to the elements of music. Begin with the "Introduction" slides, then move into the "Musical Genre Quiz," "Elements of Music Search," and "Song Analysis" activities. You’ll also find concept slides for a variety of genres to support musical analysis.Musical Genres Quiz Video:
Elements of Music Search:
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Make copies of the “Elements of Music Search” worksheet. Print and cut the definitions. Place the definitions around your classroom. Students walk around the room, finding the definition and writing it on their worksheet. When complete, discuss the definitions. Printables for the worksheet and definitions are available in the introduction section of the unit.
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Song Analysis Worksheet
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Use this activity to apply the "Elements of Music" to listening examples. Worksheets come in two levels: a checklist version and an open-ended option. Print double-sided and choose two contrasting styles to compare. A school safe playlist is also available in the unit to help save you time in finding appropriate music for the classroom. |
Genre Specific Concept Slides:
New Student Projects:
MusicplayOnline has THREE new projects with everything you need, including detailed teaching notes, printable worksheets, project checklists, slideshow options, teacher examples, and rubrics. This week we will take a deeper dive into the project "Unpack the Track".
- This project is a personal music analysis where students select a song and explore its key musical and contextual elements.
- Students will provide the song's title, artist, and genre, explain their personal connection to the genre, and identify the instruments and voice types used.
- They will analyze musical elements such as tempo, dynamics, rhythm, melody, and form, and interpret the song's lyrics or emotional impact.
- Lastly, students will research and share three interesting facts about the artist to deepen their understanding of the music’s background.
- Students can complete the project in different ways: by filling out a worksheet, creating a slideshow, or using the project checklist to choose their own format for sharing information.
Teacher Example Sample Slides:
Check out the Genre's of Music Unit for more project ideas!
So You’re the New Music Teacher……….Now What?
with Tammy Carley
Wednesday, September 24th, 2025 @ 4:30-5:30 MST (60 Minutes)
A recorded version will be available if you are unable to watch live.
About the Webinar:
Having had several student teachers in my classroom over the years, I will walk you though what you need to know to get started on a great new school year, whether that is a brand new teacher or someone with a few years of experience and moving to another district. We will look at how the the MusicplayOnline curriculum can enhance your classroom and be a compass to a successful year ahead!
Musicplay Team Updates:
We wanted to take the opportunity to share some updates from the team:
Content Updates:
Our team has been hard at working creating new content! Here are some of our newest additions:
- Teacher guides added to songs in our Grade 4 French component:
Development Updates:
- Audio in games are loaded in a bit different, and hopefully improving loading time and performance
- Form Tool wording changes, instructions, adding multiple "prime" to form letters
- Four Corners randomization fixes
- Updated lyrics of "COFFEE" song in beat and rhythm activity
- Fixed up a typo in Instruments of Orchestra
