Did you know that Rock and Roll or Pop music didn’t even exist until the 1950s? The only music that existed before that was Classical, Jazz, Blues, Big Band and singers such as Frank Sinatra! People would do ball room or couples dancing, but there was nothing for people to sing and dance along to like we do now.

This all changed when a band called Bill Haley and the Comets launched a smash hit in 1954 called Rock Around The Clock, often referred to as the beginning of Rock and Roll. This song rose to number 1 in 1955 when it was included as a soundtrack of Blackboard Jungle, a movie about juvenile delinquents, with Bill Haley portrayed as a young rebel. The teenagers watching the movie couldn’t help but to get up in the aisles and dance as soon as they heard the music. Rock Around The Clock was a new type of music which appealed especially to white American teenage kids who could now easily dance, clap and sing along, while having fun watching the band perform crazy antics such as saxophone acrobatics and riding the double bass as a pony.

Throughout 1955 and 1956, Bill Haley became one of the most popular rock and roll performers in the world. Within two years he had 12 top 40 records which included songs such as Shake Rattle and Roll, See You Later Alligator and Razzle Dazzle. In 1956 he also starred in two of the earliest full length Rock and Roll movies called Rock Around The Clock and Don’t Knock the Rock. By 1957, other crazier and wilder acts such as Elvis Presley and Little Richard (who sang Tutti Frutti) started to dominate the American scene, so Bill Haley looked for fame in other parts of the world, becoming the first Rock and Roll group to tour the world.

This is just a little exceprt of the content which is included in the Fun Music Company music lesson plans on history of Rock and Roll. The lesson Plans include complete fact sheets for fifteen lessons ranging from 1950’s Rock and Roll through to 1990’s dance and grunge music. It is almost impossible to include everyone in the history of Rock, as it is such a huge topic, but we hope to cover all the major artists in this series.


There is one thing that over everything else makes certain worksheets and educational materials more effective in this area. This one thing is an educational concept that good educators in every subject understand, and that whether you’re teaching preschool or very young children right up to adults need to understand.

That one thing is concept isolation. The worst theory books are those that introduce everything in a hap-hazard way, and have a mixture of concepts taught on one page.

The best books take one concept and expand on this through different activities based on that one concept. For example if you are working on understanding scales, don’t introduce a rhythmical element to it until the students are very familiar with what you are trying to teach them.

For example a badly written question asks the student to write a scale in a particular rhythm, or fit it into a set time signature. Then the student is not really learning anything – they are trying to assimilate two concepts at the same time. Leave the learning about time signatures and meter for another worksheet focusing on that content, and teach the scales properly.

A much better way to ask them is to ask them to write a scale and don’t mention any specific rhythmic type of note at all. This way the child will be able to concentrate on writing the scale and won’t be split between concepts.

As music is such a multidimensional language with pitch and rhythm coming together it is obviously impossible to isolate everything, but doing it as much as possible will definitely help the students with their learning of music theory.

How do I get access to these worksheets?

When you purchase any of the modules of Music Theory Fun Sheets you get a username and password, which gives you instant access to a members only site where you can access and print the product.

Why a members area?

At the Fun Music Company we’ve tried many different ways of sharing these worksheets, and we’ve decided on the members area website as the most simple and efficient way of giving you access to these worksheets

A Members area gives you the access you need anywhere… anytime.

* You can access it from home
* You can access it from school
* You can access it using your laptop
* You can access it using any device with an internet connection and Adobe Acrobat reader

Are there any recurring charges?

No Way!

At the Fun Music Company we believe you should only have to buy something once. Once you’ve got it, it is yours for life!

Each module costs between $9.95 and $29.95, depending on the number of worksheets in the module. You can also get a package of all four modules for $69.95

Can my School Purchase Music Theory Fun Sheets?

Absolutely! School site license orders are available that allow for every teacher in a school to use the materials.

For more information or to order Music Theory Fun Sheets please visit our <a href=”http://www.funmusicco.com/classroom-music-worksheets”>Classroom Music Worksheets</a> page.

There is a lot of talk about the “Mozart Effect” where the listening to certain types of classical music are shown to have benefits in ordering the brain and thus improving intelligence.

Some have found this to be false, and that just listening to certain types of music cannot possibly help improve intelligence. Some say that playing or being involved in music definitely helps their mental abilities, but the “jury is still out” on its final proof.

During my time as a music educator I have seen many students get a load of both intrinsic and extrinsic benefits from learning a musical instrument. The enjoyment that a child will get from being involved in music should be a reason enough in itself, and who is to say whether in the long term it is going to benefit their intelligence in other areas?

When developing lesson plans for music it is important for educators to simply realize that while you might want to help children develop their intelligence, your primary goal is simply to teach them music for music’s sake.

Music Education Advocacy is very important for all music educators, as without a belief in music the schools will not fund what can be expensive programs with instruments and teaching costs. Even purchasing cheap Music Theory Worksheets will be difficult for school boards who do not believe in the value of music education.

Music, even if it is expensive is definitely a worthwhile subject to teach. Through developing musical skills children will improve their confidence, their social skills, have greater understanding and awareness of the arts and lastly and most importantly have a great time doing it.

One very important thing that every teacher is taught is that you always need to be prepared for every lesson you teach. Of course, that is if you want to end the day in a stress free fashion!

A lesson plan doesn’t have to be complex, in fact experienced teachers can almost do it without even writing it down, however they do always have something ready and a lesson plan in their head or on paper.

Teaching Music should be a lot of fun, and there are a few ideas that can make it more fun for both the teacher and the class.

1. Mix up the activities

There is a saying that goes “Too much of a good thing….”, and in teaching is is very apt! Even if the children love a particular game or song they will eventually lose interest in it, so make sure you stop while they are still liking it and move onto a new one.

2. Keep the activities short and sweet

Depending on the nature of the lesson it it always best to structure your lesson into short 5-10 minute segments. In a general music/singing lesson at elementary level you would normally start with a song or two, break it up with some percussion or rhythm work and them move onto another song and maybe a game at the end.

3. Do something unexpected every now and then!

Its definitely a good thing to keep the students guessing about what they might expect next! Keep some stability of course, but occasionally you can mix it up by getting them to go outside and play a game, or going to visit another class and singing them a song. If you do this every now and then and it works for you students might start really loving your classes!

4. Have a surprise around every corner

All children love surprises, especially young children! Get your students inspired by having a reward for the best singer one class, then the most well behaved the next! Having little incentives are a great idea, but if you can mix it up with surprises every now and then it’ll be even more effective.

Don’t call it “work” – its a “game”!

Any activity will be more fun if you approach it like you would approach playing a game! So for example if you’re going to do some theory, just say: “Lets go and do some games on the board over here.” One small change to your expressions and what you say will make a huge difference!

6.Keep plenty in reserve

As a teacher you always need to plan more activities than you’ll ever need for every lesson. You can always have a bunch of simple music theory worksheets copied and ready if you need them, and learn a couple of songs that you know will work every time.

Hopefully some of these ideas will help you make your elementary music lesson plans fun and enjoyable for your students.

Kevin Tuck has taught music at elementary and high school levels and also in his own private music studio. Kevin is now editor of music teaching materials for the Fun Music Company.

In Salzburg, Austria, Mozart’s childhood house has been turned into a museum. Design the front cover of a brochure advertising the Museum by briefly describing who Mozart was, what may be see in the Museum and why Mozart is still so popular today.

Guide tours of the Museum. Imagine that your class has been appointed as the new tour guides for the Mozart Museum in Salzburg. Work in groups to explore one item each that may be in the Museum (it doesn’t necessarily have to be there…use your imagination). Use a prop to represent your item (a table for a piano, a notebook and pencil for music manuscript and quill pen etc) and develop a short talk to be included in the guided tour about some things that may have occurred at that place/room or with that item. The classroom could be set up as the museum, with the class moving from item to item and the relevant group giving their talk and answering questions. You could even video the presentations and have mozart music playing in the background.

Heres a more challenging extension activity: Write a wikipedia entry for one of Mozart’s famous pieces. You could showcase any interesting information about when it was first performed as well as the basic information like the genre and when it was composed. This page is the sort of thing.

Music Teachers have a very busy schedule. Possibly music teachers have the busiest life of all teachers. Here are a few ideas to help Music Teachers be more productive.

Music Teachers however have to do a lot of extra duties that other teachers don’t have to – like running marching band and orchestra programs, preparing student concerts, managing instrumental music lessons and talking with parents about rehearsals and raising funds for instruments.

WIth all these duties consuming the teachers time, it is vital that they be extremely well prepared to make sure that their music sessions are both fun for children and stress free for themselves.

Here are a few solutions that can help music teachers every day

A diary. This simple thing can save you all sorts of problems from double scheduling events if it is well managed. It is so easy to double schedule school events with personal events, as most teachers would well understand! You can use a modern personal digital assistant or Mobile Phone, or use the old fashioned paper diary for just a few dollars.

A location plan for all the school equipment. Even if your school has one well used xylophone and a broken guitar with three of the strings missing it is important that those two instruments have a specific home, and that children come to appreciate that when in the music classroom. When you are seeing lots of children every week and sometimes thousands of dollars worth of instruments it is vital that it is put away with respect. Draw a diagram, write it down and put it up near the equipment. Vigilance over this for a few weeks will make your teaching a lot easier in the long run!

A personal blog – What if you could have a website where you place information for band members, music parts for practice and assessments so they can get it done without you even being there? Its as simple as setting up a personal blog on blogger or word press, and getting started. Just consider – if you put resources there that you ask children to download for additional work… once its completed this year you will never have to do it again!

Computer and Technology tools. The latest software for music often has built in test and worksheet building tools, so you can write your own teaching materials in minutes.

Prepared Lesson plans accessing instant print worksheets and lesson plans from the world wide web can save you many hours preparation, and there are many brilliant sources of material available now.

Music teaching can be such a rewarding career path, as it is sharing the love of music and teaching – and it should be enjoyable for all!

There is an old saying that says something like “failing to prepare is preparing to fail” Once you have a bit of experience under your belt however, then preparing lesson plans does not have to be as complicated as it was when you first start teaching.

For those who are just starting out, here are a few guidelines for creating compelling music lesson plans.

1. Think about the age group of the students you are teaching

A very good starting point when you are preparing a lesson is to think about the maturity of the children you are teaching. What do they like, and what do they hate? What sort of music do they listen to on a regular basis? What are the other cultural factors that affect them at this age? Are they at an age where they are extremely hesitant to do anything in-front of their peers?

These are the questions that you need to think about when preparing a music lesson plan. Ready made lesson plans that you might buy or find online that are created in a rigid format usually don’t work. Each individual class and student needs to have the lesson plan tailored to their individual needs. Once a teacher has been teaching for a number of years they are able to do this adaptation in an instant, referencing the lesson plans that are in their head, and adapting as they go. When you are just starting however a good starting plan is to spend a few minutes researching the age group, and learning how they think and interact with each other.

2. Have much more than you thought you would planned

You might prepare a lesson with approximately ten points to cover. Sometimes you’ll only get up to the fourth one and the bell will ring for the end of the lesson. Another day, perhaps even with the same lesson and a different class you’ll get through all ten activities and there will still be another 15 minutes to go! You just don’t know for sure, and that is why its always a good idea to have a backup plan. If you have a few minutes its a good idea to have a game or a fun work sheet copied and ready, just in case you need it.

3. Include a mixture of activities in your music lesson plan.

Most music lessons are often segregated into set activities: One lesson for the week will be theory, one practical, one history and one aural (or something like that). Often this is unavoidable due to practical concerns and the length of the school lessons, however why not try and mix them around a bit. You could spend half a lesson on theory, then pull out the instruments for the second half of the lesson. It’ll be interesting for the students and keep them guessing.

4. Start simple – simpler than you might think!

if you’re working on something a little complicate, you may want to have a backup which is a very simplified version – just in case! This is particularly needed if working with young students. For example if you’re introducing a new piece of music in a practical lesson you may wish to plan for the scenario of it being way too hard for the students. Its not always the best idea to start at the very top! If you can start with a section that you’ll know they will do easily, then come back to the more challenging sections.

5. The feedback is there for you, if you listen for it!

Students are often extremely subtle in the way they give feedback to teachers. Students (particularly teenagers) will never say “Mrs Jones I thought you did a brilliant job today, you gave us a lesson that was lots of fun and we learned heaps.” Perhaps you might have a dream that your student says that – but its not going to happen in real life! What you will see is your students more happy to be in your classes than in other classes, and happy to laugh with you and eager to come to class. Students when they enjoy music will also put a priority on band or orchestra ahead of other things. When you start to see this you’ll know that your music lesson planning is going well.

An understanding of theory really helps musicians, not because it makes them play better, but because it helps them communicate better with other musicians.

So how do you teach it? how do you get across the important parts of it, without frustrating or making the student lose interest?

Important Concept #1 – Start with the music, then move to theory.

One thing that nearly all music teachers agree with is that music tuition should begin with sound, and then move onto written understanding. In practice that means we should always introduce something with a sound, then show the students why it is the way it is. For example if teaching chords it is critical for a student to understand firstly what a major or minor chord sounds like, the emotion that it is conveying and the reasons why a major or minor chord might have been chosen for a particular piece of music. Once they can hear the sound, and its reason for being the mechanical knowledge will follow.

Critical Concept #2 – Learn one concept at a time

Music is a multi-dimensional language. How do I mean? Well it means that in order to understand written music many different pieces of information have to be absorbed at one moment. That is the thing that makes it most challenging. A note has both a pitch (what note it is), and a duration (how long it is played for). Add to that it also has a dynamic (how loud it is) and also expression marks that have to be read by the musician. That is why music can be so difficult to learn to understand music theory.

Important Concept Number Three – Ensure it is always relevant

The final critical concept with music theory is to always try and find music theory worksheets that are relevant to the student. The music that the student is learning currently is the music that should be used to connect with their music theory. For example if a student plays jazz music then they should study jazz music theory. The music that students are currently performing is what should be used as the basis for their theory lessons.

Hopefully if music teachers students can learn to approach the study of music theory with these primary concepts in mind then music lessons will be more enjoyable and rewarding for music students of all ages.

Of course, many would disagree with that statement. Maths, Science and History teachers of course work very hard and no-one would say they don’t work extremely hard to bring excellent lessons to their students.

Music Teachers however have to do a lot of extra duties that other teachers don’t have to Рlike running choir and orchestra programs, preparing student concerts, organizing instrumental programs and communicating with parents about practices and raising funds for instruments.

WIth all these activities consuming the teachers time, it is vital that they be extremely organized to make sure that their lessons are both fun for pupils and trouble free for themselves.

Here are a few ideas that can help music teachers every day

A planner. This simple thing can save you all sorts of problems from double scheduling events if it is well managed. It is so easy to double schedule school events with personal events, as most music teachers would well understand! You can use a modern Palm Computer or i Phone, or use the traditional paper diary for just a couple of bucks.

A consistent management plan for equipment. Even if you’re school has one old xylophone and a broken guitar with three of the strings missing it is vital that those two instruments have their place, and that your students come to appreciate that when in your classroom. When you are seeing hundreds of children every week and sometimes many hundreds of dollars worth of instruments it is vital that it is put away carefully. Make a plan, write it down and stick it on all the walls near the equipment. Being careful about this for a couple of weeks will make your life a lot less stressful in the long term!

Your very own blog – What if you could have a place on the internet where you place news for band members, music parts for practice and assessments so they can complete without you even being present? Its as easy as setting up a personal page on blogger or word press, and getting going. Just consider – if you put materials there that you ask students to access for additional work… once its completed this year you will never have to do it again!

Computer and Technology tools. The latest music software often has inbuilt assessment and worksheet creation tools, so you can create your own resources in minutes.

Ready Made Music Lesson plans accessing instant print worksheets and lesson plans from the internet can save you many hours preparation, and there are many great sources of material available now.

Teaching Music can be a very rewarding and enjoyable choice of career, and with the right tools it is even easier.