Finding engaging lessons for your middle school music class for Black History Month doesn’t have to be hard, especially with these “20 Easy Lessons for Celebrating Black History Month in Music Class.”
There is enough variety and choice here to keep all your music students learning about significant Black History musical figures not only all month long, but even all year long!
In this blog post you will discover why integrating Black history into your music appreciation curriculum is crucial for cultural representation, inclusivity, broadening musical perspectives, providing historical context, and empowering students.
What is Black History Month and Why is it Important?
“Black History Month”, celebrated annually in February, originated in the United States as a way to honor the achievements, contributions, and history of African Americans. Historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History) established the original celebrations in 1926 during the second week of February, and was then known as “Negro History Week”.
This particular week was chosen because it coincided with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, both men being notable figures in the history of African-American people. The celebration expanded over the years, officially becoming Black History Month in 1976. Now Black History Month is observed internationally, and it serves as a pivotal time to recognize the resilience, cultural richness, and societal impact of African culture in countries across the globe.
Teaching Black History Month in your own music classroom is important because for the following 5 reasons:
- Cultural Representation: By incorporating diverse musical narratives that are more than just Euro-centric, ensure that students of all backgrounds see themselves reflected in your music curriculum.
- Promotes Inclusivity: Teaching Black history to all students in your music classroom helps to foster an inclusive and welcoming environment, cultivating cultural empathy and understanding among students.
- Broadens Musical Perspectives: Introducing your music students to the wide variety of major music history contributions of African-American musicians expands their musical repertoire and appreciation for various genres beyond the ones they prefer to listen to for their own enjoyment
- Historical Context: Integrating Black history provides students with a broader understanding of the historical and social contexts that influenced musical developments.
- Empowers Students: By exploring the stories of African-American musicians, students gain a sense of empowerment, recognizing the impact of significant individuals who overcame adversity to leave lasting legacies in the world of music.
5 Ways to Use Music to Celebrate Black History Month
There are many ways to celebrate African-American musical heritage during Black History Month. Below are five innovative ways that you could use to incorporate music into your celebrations. These ideas will not require a lot of prior preparation, and will certainly add to your music appreciation lessons!
- Diverse Repertoire Selection: Expand your music appreciation curriculum by incorporating a diverse selection of compositions by African-American artists. Try exploring genres like jazz, blues, gospel, hip-hop, and R&B, showcasing the richness of contributions across musical styles. When choosing music, make sure that you check the lyrics, especially for the more current music as there may be explicit language! One way to avoid this is to search for “radio” or “clean” edit versions of songs.
- Artist Spotlights: Dedicate class lessons to spotlighting influential African-American musicians and composers. Share their biographies, discuss their impact on the music industry, and explore key works that have left a lasting legacy. This website here will get you started with 5 musicians, and it is kid-friendly too! Link to Black History Month:5 Influential Musicians blog post here
- Interactive Listening Activities: Engage students in interactive listening activities centered around music with historical and cultural significance. Discuss the historical context of each piece, encouraging students to reflect on the emotions and messages conveyed through the music. YouTube is a great place to find a wide selection of music, or you can of course use your own favorite music streaming service provider!
- Collaborative Projects: Foster creativity and teamwork in your music classroom by assigning collaborative projects that involve researching, performing, or composing music inspired by Black history. This hands-on approach encourages students to actively participate in the celebration.
- Community Involvement: Extend the celebration beyond the classroom by organizing performances or events that involve the local community. Collaborate with other teachers, schools, or community organizations to create a broader impact and showcase the importance of diversity in music. This could be in the form of a concert or show, or maybe try creating a website showcasing your music students research projects!
Celebrating Black History Month through music not only enriches the educational experience but also promotes a deeper understanding and appreciation for the cultural contributions of African-American musicians.
Black History Month Listening Activities
This year. Why not try immersing your students in a dynamic exploration of musical heritage during Black History Month with some Elements of Music listening activities. By letting your students study the diverse musical genres rooted in African-American culture and spotlighting iconic musicians you will be encouraging interactive discussions, and inspiring creative responses.
When your students use the Elements of Music for listening activities, they will be able to deepen their own understanding and appreciation of the profound impact of Black musicians throughout musical history. By letting students study and choose their own musical journey through the music from Black Musicians, you will help them by fostering connections between students and the cultural richness of Black History Month.
Some Black History Month listening activities that you might want to try include:
- Genre Exploration: Introduce students to a variety of music genres with roots in African-American culture, such as jazz, blues, gospel, soul, and hip-hop. Provide historical context for each genre, allowing students to appreciate the cultural and musical significance.
- Musician Spotlights: Feature listening sessions dedicated to influential African-American musicians and composers. Showcase a diverse range of artists, from trailblazers like Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald to contemporary figures like Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar.
- Interactive Discussions: Facilitate open discussions about the emotions, themes, and historical background of selected musical pieces. Encourage students to express their interpretations, fostering a deeper connection to the music and its cultural context.
- Comparative Analysis: Explore the evolution of musical styles by comparing historical recordings with contemporary versions of the same song. Discuss how artists have drawn inspiration from their cultural heritage and the impact this has on the evolution of music. It would also be a great lesson to compare versions between artists of different racial backgrounds. For example, Fats Domino and Pat Boone. There’s a lot to discuss about the different versions, and why some artists made more money than others, and the reasons behind it!
- Creative Responses: Foster creativity by assigning projects where students create their own musical compositions inspired by the themes and sounds they’ve explored during Black History Month. This hands-on approach allows students to actively engage with the cultural richness of the music.
If you are looking for some Black History Month Listening Activities that are ready to use, check out these worksheets. Link here to the worksheets
If you want to know more about the 8 Elements of Music, click the link here.
Black History Month Research Activities
If you are looking for some more Black History Month music lesson ideas then these five more activity ideas will help! One of the best ways for your students to learn about significant Black History Musicians or Music is for students to research and discover themselves. And, if you give students the opportunity for choice in what they research, and with who they work with, they will learn even more!
There are many ways to get your music students researching, and below are five ideas to get your started.
- Composer Biographies: Assign students to research and present biographies of African-American composers, spanning from historical figures like William Grant Still to contemporary composers like Valerie Coleman. This provides students with insight into the diverse contributions to classical music.
- Musical Genre Exploration: Encourage students to delve into the history and development of various musical genres rooted in Black history, such as blues, jazz, gospel, funk, and reggae. Explore key artists and seminal recordings that shaped these genres over time. Try listening and studying the different genres for their unique stylistic features through the analysis of how the Elements of Music are used.
- Influential Musicians: Task students with researching influential African-American musicians across different genres, showcasing the impact of artists like Aretha Franklin, Miles Davis, Robert Johnson, and Mary J. Blige. This exposes students to a wide spectrum of musical talent.
- Cultural Fusion Projects: Foster creativity by assigning projects that explore the fusion of African-American musical styles with other cultures, such as Afro-Latin, Afro-Caribbean, or jazz influences in global music. This highlights the interconnectedness of musical traditions.
- Timeline of Musical Movements: Have students create timelines illustrating the evolution of Black music movements, from the Harlem Renaissance and Motown to the rise of hip-hop. This helps students understand how music reflects and responds to societal changes.
But, if you are still looking for some more music lesson research ideas for your students to try, check out these 2 blog posts that are linked below
15 Fun Music Topics to Research Ideas for Your Music Appreciation Class
7 Creative Research of Music Assessment Ideas for Your Music Class
And if you want to make it easier for yourself and you are looking for some resources that are ready for your music students to start researching, there are a few products you might like to try, click each link below for more information.
Black History Month Music Listening Worksheets
Jazz Musician Study Bundle for Use with Google Slides
Black Musicians Black History Month Bundle
Black History Month Coloring Pages
Another way to easily incorporate Black History Month and ignite creativity in the music classroom is with coloring pages. Try using illustrations of notable African-American musicians, iconic instruments, and African Art symbolism. Be sure to check that the resources you are using are authentic and not “generalized” in any way.
Some music lesson activity ideas to consider for using or finding coloring pages for your music students to use include:
- Notable Figures Illustrations: Create coloring pages featuring illustrations of influential African-American musicians, composers, and artists. Include iconic figures like Duke Ellington, Nina Simone, Scott Joplin, and contemporary stars like Beyoncé, allowing students to visually connect with their musical heritage.
- Musical Instrument Designs: Design coloring pages that showcase various musical instruments with historical significance in Black music genres. From the saxophone in jazz to the djembe in African music, this provides a fun and educational activity for students to explore instruments associated with diverse cultural traditions.
- African Art & Symbolism: Incorporate African Art & Symbolism elements in coloring pages, such as symbols representing unity, diversity, and cultural pride. This allows students to engage with broader concepts while expressing their creativity through color and design. Or let your students use their creativity and create a colorful classroom display that is inspired by the art and symbolism associated with Black History Month.
- Interactive Storytelling: Accompany coloring pages with short narratives or anecdotes about the depicted musicians or cultural symbols. This combination of visual and written content enhances the educational aspect, making it an immersive experience for students.
- Collaborative Art Display: Encourage students to collectively contribute to a Black History Month mural by coloring individual pages. Once completed, assemble the pages into a vibrant display that celebrates the diversity and creativity within the music classroom.
To make it easier for you to include this simple Black History Month activity into your music lessons is with 3 resources that are listed below. Both of these will help your students to recognize significant musical figures as well as let your students enjoy showing their creative side!
Music Class Decor for Black History Month
Music Classroom Posters – Black History Month
Music Classroom Posters – Jazz Musicians
Hopefully this blog post has given you a wide variety of music lesson ideas to try while celebrating Black History Month this year. From spotlighting influential musicians to interactive listening activities, research projects, and even coloring pages, these diverse learning approaches serve as a gateway to deeper cultural understanding.
By fostering connections to the profound impact of Black musicians on musical history, you can ensure that the celebration of Black History Month resonates not only in your own music classroom but also in the hearts and minds of your music students, promoting appreciation and unity through the universal language of music.
Until next time
Happy teaching
Julia from Jooya