Classical Music Activities for Middle School: 10 Ideas for Classical Music Month

classical music month classroom ideas composers

September is Classical Music Month, making it a wonderful time to introduce students to composers and music they might not discover on their own.

However, classical music can sometimes feel a little distant to middle school students—especially if a lesson begins with a long list of dates, musical periods and unfamiliar names.

The key is to give students something specific to listen for, investigate or create. When they have a clear purpose, they are much more likely to connect with the music.

These classical music activities for middle school can be used throughout September or at any time of the year. Choose one for a single lesson, combine several into a short unit, or use them as flexible music sub plans.

What Is Classical Music Month?

Classical Music Month is observed in September. It was first proclaimed in the United States in 1994, but the idea provides an excellent teaching opportunity for music classrooms around the world.

1. Begin with a “What Do You Notice?” listening challenge

Choose a one- to two-minute excerpt from a classical work that includes clear changes in dynamics, tempo, instrumentation, texture or mood. Play the excerpt without giving students the title or composer.

Ask them to write down three things they notice and one question they have. Their observations might focus on the instruments, dynamics, tempo, texture, mood or structure.

Play the excerpt again and invite students to add musical evidence to support their ideas. This simple routine encourages active listening and shows students that they do not need to know the “correct” answer before they can respond thoughtfully to music.

Good examples for this activity include:

“In the Hall of the Mountain King” by Edvard Grieg — students can listen for the gradual changes in tempo, dynamics, instrumentation and intensity.

“O Fortuna” from Carmina Burana by Carl Orff — students can identify the dramatic dynamic contrasts, powerful choral sound, repeated rhythmic patterns and changes in mood.

Teaching tip: Give students a small listening word bank at first. Gradually remove it as their confidence and musical vocabulary grow.

2. Feature a Composer of the Week

Select one composer each week during September and use five minutes of several lessons to build a picture of the person and their music.

Introduce a few key facts on the first day, listen to short excerpts during the week and finish with a quick reflection or quiz.

Mozart, Beethoven, Vivaldi and Tchaikovsky are familiar starting points, but Classical Music Month is also a good opportunity to expand the traditional list. Florence Price, Clara Schumann, Louise Farrenc, Margaret Bonds and other historically overlooked composers can help students see that classical music has a broader and more interesting story than they may expect.

Teaching tip: Keep it manageable: one photograph, three memorable facts and two contrasting excerpts are enough to create a meaningful introduction.

3. Build a living classical-music timeline

Give each small group a composer, musical work or significant event to research. Each group then creates one timeline card that includes:

The relevant date
An image
A short explanation of the composer, work or event
A related piece of music for the class to listen to

Add the completed cards to a classroom wall or shared digital timeline as the month progresses.

Encourage students to make connections between the music and what was happening in the wider world. They might notice changes in instruments, concert settings, technology, patronage or the role of the composer.

The aim is not to memorize every date—it is to see music history as a developing story.

4. Compare two performances of the same work

Play two recordings of the same short passage and ask students to compare the performers’ choices.

Which version is faster? Where do the dynamics differ?

Does one performance feel more energetic, powerful or dramatic?

Which interpretation do students prefer, and what musical evidence supports their choice?

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C minor provides an excellent example.

Compare Carlos Kleiber’s energetic, fast-paced 1974 recording

with the Vienna Philharmonic and Wilhelm Furtwängler’s more dramatic 1947 recording with the Berlin Philharmonic.

Ask students to listen for differences in:

Tempo
Dynamics
Articulation
Phrasing
Orchestral sound
Mood and intensity

This activity introduces an important idea: although the musicians are performing the same notes, each conductor and orchestra can interpret the music differently.

5. Turn Students into Musical Detectives with Boléro

Choose a piece with a strong musical clue, such as an ostinato, recurring theme, distinctive instrument, or gradually changing texture.

Give students a musical “case” to solve while they listen.

Ravel’s “Boléro” is an excellent example. Challenge students to discover how Ravel creates an increasingly powerful and exciting piece while repeating the same rhythm and melodies.

Ask students to listen for:

The instruments that play each melody
Changes in dynamics
Instruments joining or leaving the texture
Changes in tone color
The repeated snare-drum rhythm
How the ending breaks the established pattern

Students can record their evidence on a listening sheet and then compare their discoveries with a partner. This gives energetic classes a focused task and makes repeated listening feel purposeful.

6. Explore how composers tell stories without words

Program music is an accessible way into classical music because students can connect musical sounds with characters, movement, settings and events.

My favorite piece to use for this activity is Paul Dukas ’The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’.

Its memorable themes, changes in instrumentation, dramatic dynamics and growing intensity make it easy for students to follow the unfolding story.

Ask students to listen for:

Musical themes associated with different characters or events: the apprentice, magic spell, broom/s, swirling water
Changes in tempo, dynamics and instrumentation
Repeated patterns that suggest movement
How the music builds tension and excitement
Musical clues that signal changes in the story

Students can annotate a listening map, sketch the scene or write a short explanation of how Dukas uses musical elements to tell the story without words.

Other excellent choices include The Carnival of the Animals, Peter and the Wolf, The Four Seasons, In the Hall of the Mountain King and Danse Macabre.

7. Create a classical-music listening journal

A listening journal makes it easy to include classical music regularly without needing to plan a complete lesson for every piece.

Students can record the title and composer, identify musical elements, describe the mood and write a short personal response.

You might begin each Friday lesson with a five-minute listening entry or use the journal as a calm settling activity.

By the end of the month, students will have a collection of pieces they can compare, discuss and revisit.

Students can create their own journal in a notebook, or you can use my Digital Music Listening Journal for a ready-to-use option. It provides a consistent place for students to record their observations and reflect on the music they hear throughout the month.

8. Give students a composer research mini-project

Let students choose—or assign—a composer and investigate their life, music and historical setting. To keep the task focused, provide a short set of research questions rather than asking students to “find some facts.”

Useful questions include: What influenced this composer? Which works are they known for? What makes their music distinctive? What challenges did they face? Which piece would you recommend to a classmate, and why?

Students can present their findings as a one-page profile, short slide presentation, mini-podcast script or gallery-walk display. This is also an excellent activity to keep ready for a music substitute teacher.

9. Connect classical music with music students already know

Invite students to investigate where classical music appears in films, television, advertising, video games, sport and popular culture. They may recognize a melody without knowing its original title or composer.

The UEFA Champions League anthem is a particularly effective example. Written by Tony Britten in 1992, the anthem was inspired by George Frideric Handel’s Zadok the Priest, composed for the coronation of King George II in 1727.

Play excerpts from Handel’s original work and the Champions League anthem. Ask students to identify the musical similarities and discuss how both pieces create a sense of anticipation, importance and grandeur.

Students could consider:

How the music gradually builds
The use of orchestra and choir
Changes in dynamics and texture
How repetition increases the excitement
Why this musical style suits a major sporting event
How the modern anthem adapts Handel’s musical ideas for a new purpose

This comparison helps students recognize that classical music continues to influence the music they hear in contemporary culture. It also shows how an existing musical idea can be adapted to create a new meaning for a modern audience.

Handel: Zadok the Priest

Listen first to Handel’s Zadok the Priest. Then open the UEFA Champions League anthem on YouTube and compare the two pieces.

Listen to the UEFA Champions League Anthem on YouTube →

As you listen, consider how Tony Britten adapted Handel’s musical ideas to create the sense of anticipation and grandeur associated with a major sporting event.

Other school-age-appropriate examples include:

Bluey – “Sleepytime”: “Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity” from The Planets by Gustav Holst
The Cat Concerto – Tom and Jerry: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 by Franz Liszt
Babe: A theme adapted from the Maestoso section of Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 3, “Organ Symphony”
Tetris – Game Boy “Type C” music: The Menuet from Bach’s French Suite No. 3 in B minor, BWV 814

Students could select one example, listen to the original classical work and compare it with the way the music is used or adapted in its modern setting.

10. Finish with a creative response

After several weeks of listening, give students a choice of ways to respond. They might create album artwork for a selected piece, write a short scene inspired by the music, design a listening map, compose an eight-bar theme, plan a concert program or record a one-minute recommendation.

Choice works particularly well with middle school students because it allows them to use different strengths while still demonstrating careful listening and musical understanding. Finish with a gallery walk or quick share so students can discover pieces chosen by their classmates.

A Simple Four-Week Classical Music Month Plan

Week 1: Active Listening (Activities 1, 4, 5 and 7)
Notice musical elements, compare performances and use focused listening challenges to develop students’ aural awareness.
Week 2: Composer Study (Activities 2, 3 and 8)
Research selected composers, explore their music and place their lives and works within a broader historical timeline.
Week 3: Music and Meaning (Activities 6 and 9)
Explore how composers tell stories without words and investigate the influence of classical music on films, television, advertising, games, sport and popular culture.
Week 4: Student Choice and Creative Response (Activity 10)
Invite students to select a piece, complete a creative response and share their musical discoveries and recommendations with the class.

The Classical Music Listening Journal in Activity 7 can continue throughout the four weeks, giving students a consistent place to record, compare and reflect on the music they hear.

This structure gives the month a clear direction without locking you into four large projects. Each week can be reduced to one lesson or extended, depending on your timetable.

Keep the Listening at the Center

It is easy for a composer unit to become mostly reading and research. Biographical information is useful, but students should also hear the music—preferably more than once and with a reason to listen.

A short excerpt with one thoughtful question can be more valuable than playing a complete work while students are unsure what to notice. Keep the listening tasks focused, allow students to discuss what they hear and encourage them to support their ideas with musical evidence.

Ready-to-Use Classical Music Resources

If you would like to save planning time, MusicTeacherResources has ready-to-use composer studies, research activities, music listening worksheets and word-search activities for middle school and general music. Use them for whole-class lessons, independent work, early finishers or music sub plans.

EXPLORE CLASSICAL MUSIC AND COMPOSER RESOURCES →

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