10 Fall Music Lesson Ideas for Middle School Music Classes

fall activities halloween

Middle school students love activities that challenge them, connect to their world, and let them be creative.

Fall is the perfect season to weave in spooky themes, autumn imagery, and seasonal repertoire – all while reinforcing core music skills like rhythm, form, and composition.

These 10 fall music lesson ideas for middle school music classes strike a balance between fun seasonal themes and meaningful practice.

Whether you’re teaching general music, choir, or band, these activities will engage your students while giving them opportunities to compose, analyze, and perform.

1. Rhythm Composition with Autumn Words

Seasonal vocabulary is a great entry point for rhythm creation.

Words like "pumpkin spice latte" or "fall leaves" naturally translate into rhythmic patterns. Students enjoy connecting everyday fall imagery to notation.

Learning Goal: Connect syllables to rhythm composition and reinforce rhythm reading fluency.

How to Teach:

Brainstorm a list of fall words or phrases with the class.
Demonstrate how syllables match to note values (e.g., pump-kin = two eighth notes).
Students create rhythm patterns, clap them, or play them on percussion instruments.
Build group compositions by combining student patterns into a class piece.

Variations:

General music: clap or drum rhythms.
Choir: clap and chant rhythms as vocal warm-ups.
Band: assign different sections to play contrasting word rhythms.

Extensions:

Notate the rhythms on staff paper.
Perform in small groups, layering rhythms for ensemble practice.

Resource Spotlight:
Make this activity easier with my Fall Match the Rhythm to the Phrase resource. It includes ready-made seasonal phrases, such as "Leaves piled high on the ground," and multiple-choice rhythm options. Students can practice by matching the correct rhythm to each phrase using print worksheets, task cards, or digital Google Slides versions.

2. Danse Macabre Listening & Analysis

Camille Saint-Saëns’ Danse Macabre is a Halloween favorite, and middle schoolers can dig into its tritone, instrument roles, and narrative elements.

This piece is perfect for October because it blends spooky atmosphere with clear musical storytelling, giving students a chance to analyze how Saint-Saëns used harmony, timbre, and rhythm to bring skeletons to life.

Learning Goal: Develop listening analysis skills and connect music to imagery and narrative.

How to Teach:

Play a short excerpt without any introduction. Ask students to close their eyes and imagine a scene.
Discuss what they pictured – dancing skeletons, eerie night scenes, or other spooky images.
Guide students to listen again for key features:
- The violin’s tritone (“the devil’s interval”).
- The xylophone imitating rattling bones.
- The waltz-like 3/4 dance rhythm.
Connect these elements to Saint-Saëns’ goal: painting a musical story about skeletons rising at midnight to dance.

Variations:

Beginner: storyboard the music with drawings or comic-style panels.
Advanced: identify recurring motifs, harmonic tension, or orchestration choices.

Extensions:

Soundtrack Comparison: Play a modern spooky soundtrack (e.g., Hedwig’s Theme from Harry Potter or Stranger Things). Create a Venn diagram comparing how both use rhythm, harmony, and timbre to create mood.
Cross-Curricular Tie-In: Share the poem by Henri Cazalis that inspired the piece. Ask students to compare how words and music both tell the same eerie story.

Resource Spotlight:
Save prep time with my ready-to-use Danse Macabre listening resources – including printable worksheets, guided listening maps, and digital slides.

These materials highlight the key musical features (tritone, xylophone bones, dance rhythm) and give students structured ways to analyze and reflect without you needing to design activities from scratch.

3. Scary Movie Soundtrack Project

Nothing excites middle schoolers like creating their own movie music.

In this project, students compose a short soundtrack to a spooky clip or slideshow. It’s the perfect way to combine creativity with analysis of how music sets a mood.

Learning Goal: Explore composition, sound design, and the role of music in storytelling.

How to Teach:

Choose a silent clip or slideshow with eerie imagery (fall landscapes, abandoned hallways, shadows).
Divide students into small groups and give them instruments or digital tools.
Challenge groups to compose a 30–60 second “spooky soundtrack” that matches the visual.
Share performances live with the video or record and play them back.

Variations:

No tech: use body percussion, Orff instruments, or classroom percussion.
With tech: explore GarageBand, Soundtrap, or Chrome Music Lab for layered soundtracks.

Extension:

Host a “Fall Film Festival” and have the class vote on “scariest soundtrack,” “most creative,” etc.

4. Halloween Music Bingo

Halloween Bingo is always a winner – even in middle school. Students listen to spooky-themed music excerpts and compete to complete their 5x5 boards. It’s fun, competitive, and a great way to introduce seasonal repertoire.

Learning Goal: Strengthen listening skills, song recognition, and applied music vocabulary.

How to Teach:

Hand out Halloween Bingo cards (5x5 for middle school).
Play short excerpts from a curated playlist of 35–40 school-appropriate songs.
Students listen closely, mark their boards, and call “Bingo!” when they have a winning line.

Variations:

Add a “challenge round” where the winner must describe a musical element (tempo, instrumentation, form).
Play in teams to encourage collaboration.

Extensions:

Discuss: What musical elements make a song sound “spooky”? (minor keys, dissonance, instrumentation).
Journal response: students write about their favorite piece from the game and why.

👉 Try my ready-made Halloween Music Bingo for Middle School & High School – it includes prepared cards and a playlist so you can start instantly.

5. Rhythm Dictation with Halloween Motifs

Take rhythmic dictation to the next level by incorporating spooky, seasonal imagery.

Students listen carefully as you clap or play rhythms and then notate what they hear on themed worksheets decorated with pumpkins, bats, or cauldrons.

Learning Goal: Strengthen rhythmic listening, internal beat, and notation accuracy.

How to Teach:

Hand out Halloween-themed dictation worksheets with empty staff lines or beat boxes.
Clap or play a rhythm pattern while students listen carefully.
Students write the rhythm they hear.
Review as a class, pointing out common tricky spots and modeling strategies for success.

Variations:

Beginner: start with short, simple rhythms (quarter and eighth notes).
Advanced: include syncopation, dotted notes, or compound meter patterns.

Extensions:

Turn it into a team competition: each correct answer lets a group “add an ingredient” to a Halloween witch’s brew storyline.
Ask students to take turns leading the dictation by clapping or performing a rhythm for their peers to write down.
Use it as a warm-up before composition projects – students can transform dictated rhythms into short seasonal pieces.

6. Analyze a Spooky Pop Song

Bring the season into the classroom with a spooky or Halloween-themed pop song.

Students listen closely to identify what makes it “spooky” or seasonal, applying the same analytical skills they use with classical repertoire.

Learning Goal: Strengthen listening analysis by applying concepts to familiar, popular music.

How to Teach:

Choose a school-friendly spooky pop song (e.g., Thriller by Michael Jackson, Monster Mash, or Ghostbusters).
Play the song once for enjoyment and ask students to jot down first impressions.
On the second listen, guide students to notice:
- Tempo & Rhythm – steady beat, groove, syncopation.
- Harmony & Tonality – minor key, dissonance.
- Instrumentation – synths, drum machine, strings, effects.
- Lyrics & Mood – how text contributes to atmosphere.
Discuss as a class: What makes this song spooky? How does it compare to classical pieces like Danse Macabre?

Variations:

Beginner: provide a guided worksheet with categories to fill in.
Advanced: ask students to map the form (intro, verse, chorus, bridge).

Extensions:

Have students create their own “mini spooky song” chorus using classroom instruments.
Compare two songs (e.g., Thriller Monster Mash) and chart similarities/differences.
Link to cultural impact: discuss why these songs became seasonal staples.

7. Spooky Poem Soundtracks

Give students the chance to transform words into music by adding a soundtrack to a spooky fall poem.

They experiment with instruments, body percussion, or vocal effects to bring the text to life.

Learning Goal: Explore text setting, timbre, and expressive sound design.

How to Teach:

Provide a short Halloween or autumn-themed poem (or let students write their own).
Read the poem aloud together. Discuss what mood or imagery the text suggests.
In small groups, assign instruments, voices, or body percussion to match sections of the poem.
Groups perform their poem soundtracks for the class.

Variations:

Beginner: use teacher-selected poems with clear imagery.
Advanced: let students compose their own original spooky poems to score.

Extensions:

Record performances and add them to a class “Spooky Poetry Podcast.”
Challenge students to notate their soundtrack ideas with graphic notation.

8. Musical Form Analysis – Vivaldi’s Autumn

Vivaldi’s Autumn is a classroom classic and perfect for teaching form. Students analyze how music represents seasonal imagery while identifying ritornello structure.

Learning Goal: Recognize musical form and connect structure to imagery.

How to Teach:

Play the movement and ask: What fall scenes do you imagine?
Guide students to identify recurring ritornello sections.
Diagram the form with colors, shapes, or symbols.

Variations:

Beginner: label sections A, B, C.
Advanced: map full ritornello structure with precise measures.

Extensions:

Share the sonnet that inspired The Four Seasons and compare words to music.
Have students create comic strips or illustrations that follow the music’s storyline.

9. Pumpkin Percussion Ensemble

This ensemble project turns fall words into ostinato rhythms layered into a class composition. It’s seasonal, collaborative, and a fun way to reinforce ensemble skills.

Learning Goal: Develop rhythm fluency, ensemble awareness, and dynamic control.

How to Teach:

Assign groups short word rhythms (e.g., pump-kin pie, au-tumn leaves).
Each group repeats their pattern as an ostinato.
Layer groups together, adding dynamics and form (A–B–A).

Variations:

Allow students to conduct, cueing entrances and cutoffs.
Add texture with different percussion timbres.

Extensions:

Perform for another class or record for playback.
Reflect: How did layering and dynamics change the overall effect?

10. Concert Prep Kickoff: Fall Showcase Ideas

October is the perfect time to begin preparing for winter concerts. Inviting student voice into the planning process builds investment and ownership while easing your workload.

Learning Goal: Engage students in collaborative concert planning.

How to Teach:

Brainstorm concert themes, repertoire ideas, or titles as a class.
Preview possible pieces and let students vote or suggest.
Assign student roles: emcee, stage crew, program designer, or soloists.

Variations:

Choir: choose small group or solo features.
Band: let sections prepare short spotlight pieces.

Extensions:

Have students document the process in a “concert journal.”
Reflect after the concert on how their choices shaped the final performance.
Teacher Resource: For more strategies, check out my blog series Top Tips for Planning a Student Concert – practical posts that cover repertoire, scheduling, communication, and student involvement.

Wrap-Up

Fall lessons don’t just add seasonal fun – they’re also a meaningful way to build listening, rhythm, composition, and analysis skills in middle schoolers. These 10 fall music lesson ideas are engaging, adaptable, and designed to maintain a positive energy in October while students continue to grow musically.

👉 Save prep time with ready-to-use resources:

All classroom-tested tools that make your fall lessons easy, engaging, and fun.

✨ If you’re also starting to plan your winter concert, don’t miss my Top Tips for Planning a Student Concert blog series – full of practical advice on repertoire, scheduling, and communication.

Would you like more music teaching strategies? Check out these related posts to keep your lessons fresh and interactive!

Blog Post: Top Tips for Planning a Student Concert

Blog Post: Halloween Music Bingo: A Fun and Easy October Music Lesson

Blog Post: 8 Ways to Use Google Slides in the Music Classroom

Blog Post: 10 Fun and Effective Music Class Seating Plan Ideas