Are you looking to make planning easier and learning more fun? Music curriculum subscriptions might be the answer! Here we’ll highlight five classroom music subscriptions available at J.W. Pepper that will not only save you time but will also engage your pre-K–8 music classes in sequential, interactive, and fun lessons. Explore the features of each subscription to help you decide which is the best choice for your classroom.
MusicFirst Elementary
Level: Grades K-5
Format: Digital platform
Cost: $795/year or can be purchased in a variety of time increments, with discounts for three-, four-, and five-year options
Includes:
- A fully sequenced, spiral curriculum for grades K–5, with 36 lessons for each grade level divided into six units, and built-in assessments throughout
- Detailed lesson plans including student learning objectives, standards addressed in the lesson, suggestions for extension, sheet music, recordings, and more
- Over 1,000 interactive resources, including singing, movement, playing instruments, composing, cross-curricular content, and more
- A growing library of supplementary resources such as music for recorder, ukulele, barred instruments, and Boomwhackers; music-theory videos; musicals; games; and more
- Creative tools that are geared to elementary learners, like Music Notepad, a notation software platform; YuStudio, a beginner-friendly DAW; Music Explorer, a tool to explore over 20 instruments; and more
- Students log on through Yumu, a password-protected, teacher-monitored online learning hub
- Award-winning technology on an easy-to-use platform
Pepper’s Favorite Features:
- Your entire year is planned out for you, yet the lessons are completely flexible as well and allow you to reorganize existing content or add your own videos, audio files, and documents
- Each lesson is song-based, includes sheet music, and encourages movement and student creativity—songs are authentic, high-quality, engaging, age-appropriate, and span a variety of genres
- A wealth of supporting documentation like National Standards alignment, scope and sequence, curriculum guides, and more
- The curriculum complements Orff and Kodály teaching methods, and you can display the sheet music in whatever notation you use with your students.
Preview:
Prodigies PK–5 Curriculum
This comprehensive standards-based program is designed to support both new and experienced educators with a digital curriculum, offering creative and consistent lessons all year long.
Level: Pre-K–5
Format: Digital platform
Cost: $295 per year
Includes:
- Fully sequenced curriculum from pre-K to fifth grade covers rhythm, pitch, notation, and more, including 36 weeks of lessons for each grade level
- Over 1,000 instructional videos for students to sing, play, and move along to
- Printable lesson plans with step-by-step instructions that align with the National Standards
- Cross-curricular activities like games, worksheets, coloring pages, and more
- Exploration of pitch and notation with solfege and instrumental resources for desk bells, xylophones, recorders, and ukuleles
- A sheet music library of hundreds of color-coded songs with lyrics, hand signs, and notation arranged for multiple levels
- Curated playlists and a video index to quickly find and play any video or song by topic, genre, difficulty level, and more
Pepper’s Favorite Features:
- The school year is planned out with sequenced lessons for pre-K to fifth grade, making lesson prep a breeze! Or you can customize to suit your needs.
- Notation is color-coded to match Chroma-note desk bells, Boomwhackers, or xylophones, making learning an instrument enjoyable and memorable for students. No desk bells? No problem! There’s a free app for that.
- Incorporating Kodály concepts and Orff-inspired instruments, there is a strong focus on solfège to promote ear training and notation to promote music literacy.
- Lessons are bright, engaging, and tap into multiple modes of learning: aural, visual, and kinesthetic. Mr. Rob and Mrs. Sam make learning fun and accessible for all learners!
Hal Leonard’s Essential Elements Music Class
Usable year-round, this subscription includes full digital access to all content for 365 days from the activation date and can be used in person or virtually.
Level: Grades K–8
Format: Digital platform
Cost: $299 per year or can be purchased in a variety of time increments
Includes:
- Over 800 songs with professionally recorded demo and accompaniment tracks (downloadable for offline use) as well as a suite of assets for each piece
- Filter songs by category and add them to your favorites to incorporate them into your lessons
- 180 lessons (30 lessons per K–5 grade level) aligned to musical concepts, the National Standards, and social-emotional learning competencies
- Middle school lessons, including Modern Band Method, World Music Drumming, and Guitar Class Method Unit 1
- Flexibility with customizable elements for each lesson
- Worksheets, recorder and ukulele methods, musicals, a virtual library of almost 100 eBooks, Music Express issues, and more
- Curated playlists, completely customizable and shareable with your students
Pepper’s Favorite Features:
- Songs include Disney, Broadway, and pop hits available exclusively through Hal Leonard. You won’t find these songs anywhere else!
- Enough lessons in each K–5 grade level to cover the entire school year! Musical concepts are expertly sequenced for each grade level, and each lesson aligns with national standards.
- Hundreds of additional resources including a virtual library with eBooks (think Disney songbooks, pop songs for ukulele, recorder methods…), full-length musicals, virtual games, and more!
- Content can easily be shared with students without requiring a login.
Preview:
Plank Road’s Music K–8
Available in a variety of formats, this resource magazine is published bimonthly—five times during the school year, beginning with the September/October issue and ending with the May/June issue.
Level: Grades K–8
Format: Five bimonthly issues delivered in print only, digital only, or a combination of digital and print—you choose!
Cost: $147.95 per year for print only, $132.95 per year for digital only, or $182.95 per year for a combination of digital and print
Includes:
- Ten or more new works in each issue, with full rights to reproduce music for your students
- Songs in a variety of genres cover a variety of seasonal topics and offer opportunities for cross-curricular learning
- Full performance and accompaniment recordings featuring live musicians
- Background information and teaching tips for each song
- Student parts are available with each issue, making copying a breeze
- An entire musical or revue within the first three issues of every volume
- Free downloadable extras such as rehearsal tracks, choreography videos, and projectable lyric pages
- Network, a forum for teachers to exchange tips and ideas, and Photo Journal, with idea-filled color photographs
Pepper’s Favorite Features:
- An active community of teachers who share creative ideas in each issue. Receive payment for selected submissions for both Network and Photo Journal, and enter your students in the cover contest as well!
- The magazine format is easy to use, with new music and fresh ideas sent throughout the school year. If you start your subscription later in the year, you will receive all back issues.
- The accompaniment tracks are high quality and feature real musicians! Your subscription gives you the right to use the tracks in performance.
- The songs cover a wide range of seasonal topics—some feature Boomwhackers, recorders, and ukuleles
Preview:
Themes & Variations’ Musicplay Online
This online subscription is a versatile teaching tool that encourages active music making in and out of the classroom. Now includes JJ Me along with the Musicplay resources.
Level: Pre-K–Middle School
Format: Digital platform
Cost: $200 per year
Includes:
- Thousands of songs—many include downloadable vocal and accompaniment tracks and interactive supporting resources
- Learning modules for each grade level, outlined by month, that span the whole school year and can easily be shared with students
- Lesson plans and units include objectives, supporting resources, teaching procedures, extension activities, and connection to the National Standards
- Listening kits that include a listening map, demos, printable resources, and more
- Instrument resources for percussion, Boomwhackers, guitar, ukulele, and Orff
- Rhythm & solfa practice with associated songs and resources
- Downloads including flashcards, posters, sheet music, worksheets, and more
- An interactive toolbox with a composer tool, tuners, virtual instruments, and more
Pepper’s Favorite Features:
- Your entire school year is planned for you with sequenced lessons for each grade level—use the MyList feature to customize existing lessons or create your own
- Search for content by grade, topic, or content creator, including John Jacobson
- Wide variety of content incorporating methodologies like Orff and Kodály, including full musicals to perform.
- Professional development opportunities like free online webinars and Summer Symposia help not only with learning the platform but also inspire creative ideas in the classroom. There is a vibrant community to support you in your teaching journey!
Preview:
