TORRINGTON HIGH SCHOOL 
MUSIC DEPARTMENT
The Pride of Torrington  

Below are lesson ideas for Elementary, Middle, and High School levels.
This is not a complete list, but rather a starting point to spark ideas and conversation about what will work best for you and your students.

 

 

MUSIC NOTATION LESSON IDEAS

Elementary School
 

1. Note Name Hopscotch

• Objective: Learn treble clef note names.

• Activity: Create a staff on the floor using tape. Label spaces/lines with note names. Students toss a beanbag and say the note they land on, then hop to it.
   

2. Rhythm Clap and Tap

• Objective: Understand basic rhythms (quarter, eighth, half, whole).

• Activity: Use rhythm flashcards. Students clap the rhythm, then tap it on a desk or instrument.
   

3. Musical Storytime

• Objective: Connect symbols with sound.

• Activity: Read a story aloud, and assign symbols (like quarter note = clap) to actions in the story.
   

4. Draw Your Own Staff

• Objective: Understand staff structure and note placement.

• Activity: Use chalk, dry-erase boards, or paper. Students draw the five lines and place note heads where the teacher calls out.

Middle School
 

1. Staff Wars or Note Rush (Apps)

• Objective: Practice speed and accuracy of note identification.

• Activity: Use music literacy games on iPads or computers.
   

2. Create a Composer's Dice Game

• Objective: Write rhythms and melodies.

• Activity: Students roll dice to determine rhythm or pitch combinations and notate them on staff paper.
   

3. Escape the Staff Room (Escape Room Game)

• Objective: Review multiple notation concepts.

• Activity: Teams solve puzzles (note ID, key signatures, rhythm decoding) to "escape" a virtual or physical room.
   

4. Treble & Bass Clef Puzzle Race

• Objective: Differentiate between clefs and note placement.

• Activity: Use laminated note cutouts and magnetic staffs; race to place the notes correctly.

High School
 

1. Compose with a Purpose

• Objective: Create short melodic or rhythmic compositions.

• Activity: Assign a theme (e.g., weather, emotions) and have students compose using standard notation in notation software like Noteflight, MuseScore, or Flat.io
   

2. Rhythm Composition with Layers

• Objective: Write multi-layered rhythm pieces.

• Activity: Each student or group writes a rhythm pattern using different note values, then perform as an ensemble.
   

3. Score Study and Annotation

• Objective: Analyze professional scores.

• Activity: Use orchestral, choral, or band excerpts. Identify key signatures, time signatures, dynamics, articulation, and phrasing.
   

4. Notation Corrections Challenge

• Objective: Improve editing and theory skills.

• Activity: Give students an incorrect score (wrong rhythms, enharmonic mistakes, etc.) and have them find and fix the errors.

 

 

 

 

DIGITAL AUDIO WORKSTATION (DAW) LESSON IDEAS
 

Elementary School DAW Lessons
 

1. Soundscape Storytelling

• Goal: Use sound effects and loops to tell a story.

• Activity: Students create a soundscape for a book or scene using pre-made loops (rain, animals, footsteps, etc.) in a DAW like Chrome Music Lab or Soundtrap for Education.

• Standards: Creating, Responding
   

2. Loop Lab

• Goal: Understand patterns and form.

• Activity: Drag-and-drop loops into a DAW to create a short ABA or ABAB form song.

• Extension: Add a vocal chant or classroom instrument recording.
   

3. Build-a-Beat

• Goal: Learn rhythm and layering.

• Activity: Use a drum machine in a DAW to create an 8- or 16-beat drum pattern.

• Tools: Soundtrap, Groove Pizza (NYU), BandLab

Middle School DAW Lessons 
 

1. Remix a Song

• Goal: Learn basic editing and song form.

• Activity: Import a public domain or royalty-free track into the DAW and have students rearrange, chop, and layer loops over it.
   

2. Mood Music (Film Score Challenge)

• Goal: Compose music to fit emotion.

• Activity: Play a short silent clip (cartoon, commercial, etc.) and have students score it using loops, MIDI instruments, or voice.

• Standards: Creating, Connecting
   

3. Create a Commercial Jingle

• Goal: Write catchy hooks and lyrics.

• Activity: Pick a real or imaginary product, write a 15–30 sec jingle using vocals and beat-building.
   

4. Genre Mashup

• Goal: Explore different musical styles.

• Activity: Combine elements from two genres (hip-hop + classical, rock + electronic) to create a new track.

High School DAW Lessons 
 

1. Original Songwriting Project

• Goal: Write, arrange, and produce a song.

• Activity: Students compose lyrics, melody, and arrange the instrumental track using MIDI/loops/audio recording.
   

2. Podcast or PSA Production

• Goal: Learn audio editing and storytelling.

• Activity: Record a podcast episode or public service announcement using voice, music, and sound effects.
   

3. Beat Battle

• Goal: Build production skills and creativity.

• Activity: Give all students the same sample or challenge (tempo, key, etc.), and they each produce a different beat. Share and discuss.
   

4. Multitrack Recording and Mixing

• Goal: Explore signal flow, effects, and balance.

• Activity: Record multiple instruments/vocals. Apply EQ, reverb, panning, and volume balancing to mix.
   

5. Cover Song Recreation

• Goal: Practice transcription and arrangement.

• Activity: Recreate a known song by ear or using a provided MIDI file. Students arrange it with their own interpretation.

 

 

 

INCREDIBOX LESSON IDEAS

 

Elementary School 
 

1. Create a Character Beat Team

• Goal: Understand musical layers and timbres.

• Activity: Have students drag-and-drop different characters into Incredibox to create a short piece. Discuss what each icon adds (beat, melody, effect, etc.).

• Assessment: Students explain what each “character” is doing in the mix.
   

2. Form Detective (AB/ABA)

• Goal: Identify and build basic musical form.

• Activity: Create a pattern using 3 different loops (A), then switch to 3 new ones (B), then return to A. Discuss what they hear.

• Extension: Clap along with beat parts, sing rhythms of melody parts.
   

3. Create a Class Incrediband

• Goal: Collaborate in creating music.

• Activity: On a smartboard, have students take turns selecting sounds. As a class, build and perform a “live mix.”

Middle School 
 

1. Theme-Based Composition

• Goal: Compose music to reflect a theme or emotion.

• Activity: Students choose a theme (e.g., mystery, celebration, night, ocean) and use Incredibox to match it with their sound choices.

• Reflection: Students write or present how their choices support the theme.
   

2. Musical Roles Exploration

• Goal: Learn the function of beat, bass, melody, and effect layers.

• Activity: Isolate different character categories. Ask: What happens when you remove the beat? Just use effects?
   

3. Incredibox DJ Battle

• Goal: Boost creativity and timing.

• Activity: Students perform live by muting/unmuting or swapping characters in real time. Vote on most creative, best form, etc.
   

4. Compare Styles

• Goal: Identify differences in genre and style.

• Activity: Explore multiple Incredibox versions (e.g., Alpha, Jeevan, V6) and compare how each sounds. Discuss tempo, texture, emotion.

High School 
 

1. Loop Composition Analysis

• Goal: Analyze how loops build structure.

• Activity: Choose an Incredibox version and break down what each loop contributes. Graph or notate what’s happening over time.
   

2. Intro to Beatmaking

• Goal: Understand beat layering and music production basics.

• Activity: Use Incredibox as a pre-DAW activity. Students must build a complete 30–60 second track with intro, build, drop, and ending.
   

3. Film Scoring Challenge

• Goal: Compose to visual media.

• Activity: Provide a short silent video. Students must use Incredibox to create a soundtrack that matches the mood and action.
   

4. Cultural or Genre Comparison

• Goal: Connect Incredibox to world music or pop genres.

• Activity: Choose an Incredibox style and compare it to real-world musical styles (e.g., Indian elements in Jeevan, electro-funk in Alive).

 

 

GROOVE PIZZA LESSON IDEAS
 

Elementary School Lesson Ideas 
 

1. Pizza Rhythms (Intro to Patterns)

• Objective: Learn basic beat placement and steady beat.

• Activity: Use the default pizza (16 slices = 4 beats of 16th notes). Students place toppings on every 4th slice (quarter note), then try 8th or syncopated patterns. Clap and perform along with the computer.

• Extension: Ask, “What kind of pizza do you like? Build a rhythm that matches its syllables!”
   

2. Shape the Sound

• Objective: Explore how rhythm patterns form shapes.

• Activity: Build shapes like triangles, squares, or circles and listen to how they sound. Discuss symmetry and musical balance.

• STEAM Link: Connect to geometry or symmetry in math.
   

3. Rhythm Call & Response

• Objective: Improve listening and response skills.

• Activity: Teacher creates a simple rhythm in Groove Pizza and plays it. Students must echo the rhythm by recreating it on their own device or clapping it back.

• Variation: Have students create a rhythm, and the class guesses the pattern by listening.

Middle School Lesson Ideas
 

1. Build Your Own Beat

• Objective: Create a 1–2 bar rhythm pattern using kick, snare, and hi-hat.

• Activity: Students experiment with layering and groove. Discuss beat roles (kick = pulse, snare = backbeat, hi-hat = subdivision).

• Extension: Try different styles (hip-hop, funk, swing, reggaeton) and compare.
   

2. Math + Music = Groove

• Objective: Understand subdivisions and rhythm math.

• Activity: Assign fractions of the pizza (1/2 = 8 slices, 1/4 = 4, etc.). Students build beats based on math instructions (e.g., “Create a beat using 3/4 of the pizza filled.”)

• Cross-Curricular: Ties in with math concepts like fractions, division, symmetry.
   

3. Cultural Rhythm Exploration

• Objective: Learn about global percussion styles.

• Activity: Explore Groove Pizza’s presets (Afro-Cuban, swing, techno, etc.). Discuss where the rhythms come from, how they feel, and how they influence modern music.

• Project: Students research a culture's music and try to recreate a basic rhythm from it.
   

4. Remix Challenge

• Objective: Encourage creativity and problem-solving.

• Activity: Give students a preset beat (e.g., Funk or Hip Hop) and challenge them to remix it by changing just 3–4 slices. Then perform or share with the class.

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