Free Curriculum
American Music History & Listening
A full-year, listening-centered high school course covering American music from early foundations through the streaming era. Designed for large classes, low grading load, ready to adapt and teach.
Built by a band director - free for any teacher to use.
Now also a fully interactive web course - an American music journey for America's 250th. Free in your browser, no signup.
At a Glance
What this course covers
How We Listen
Building a shared listening vocabulary and the D-A-C-E framework
Foundations of American Sound
Indigenous music, spirituals, folk traditions, and the roots of American identity
19th Century Roots
Spirituals and their later continuities, ballads, parlor song, minstrelsy in historical context, and public band music
Blues, Ragtime, Jazz & Recording
Migration, blues, ragtime, early jazz, Tin Pan Alley, and the rise of recorded popular music
Swing Era & Bebop
Big bands, the bebop revolution, and the tension between dance-floor popularity, commercial demand, and musician-centered experimentation
Rock, Soul & Protest
Rock and roll, Motown, soul, and music as a vehicle for social change
Scenes & Technology
Punk, hip-hop, electronic music, and lowered barriers to music production - along with new technological gatekeepers
Streaming Era & Beyond
Algorithms, genre fluidity, and how students consume music today
Listening Framework
Students build skills through D-A-C-E
Every unit uses the same four evidence moves - Describe, Analyze, Contextualize, Evaluate - while students build a supported interpretation throughout, so listening skills deepen across the year.
What do you hear?
How is the music organized?
What shaped this music?
How well does it meet a clear criterion?
Designed For
Built for real classroom conditions
- Designed with large sections in mind - one-page products, short responses, compact rubrics
- Built for a low grading load - short responses and compact rubrics, no daily homework collection
- No music performance required - students listen, write, and discuss
- Works with any school's existing listening equipment or student devices
- One major project per unit - students go deep instead of broad
- Sample responses, scoring criteria, discussion guidance, and assessment support included
Download
Get the full curriculum
Four documents: the course, the student pages, the administrator case, and the project handouts. All free, no account required.
Teacher Edition
70 pagesUnit overviews, four-week pacing guides, modeled daily lessons, listening prompts, eight major projects, sample responses, grading guidance, and teacher tips.
Student Workbook
27 pagesUnit projects with D-A-C-E framework prompts, response sheets, and end-of-course reflection pages. Print-ready.
Administrator Overview
10 pagesCourse rationale, structure, assessment model, implementation considerations, and an Illinois standards crosswalk for curriculum approval.
Teacher Project Packet
29 pagesReady-to-copy handouts, student directions, response forms, and scoring sheets for the eight unit projects.
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More Free Resources
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- Interactive fingering charts
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About
Built by a band director
Justin Berchtold
Band director and private lesson instructor. Former Concertmaster and Principal Clarinet of the Marine Forces Pacific Band. BM in Music Performance from DePaul University. This course was written for real classrooms with real constraints - large sections, limited prep time, and students who need structured listening experiences they can't get from a textbook.
Questions