Carnegie Hall

Musical Explorers helps elementary school students learn songs from around the world, building a deeper understanding of different cultures while developing basic singing and listening skills. The program is available for classrooms around the world, with a free fully digital version available for educators.

Grades: K–2
Availability for Educators: NYC, National, International
Season: School Year

The Weill Music Institute’s longest-running music education program, Link Up, gives kids the opportunity to learn to sing and play an instrument with an orchestra in this highly participatory program.

Grades: 3–5
Availability for Educators: NYC, National, International
Season: School Year

Music educators come together to strengthen their skills through community building, professional development, and musical activities. Each summer, educators from across the United States gather for a four-day intensive workshop.

Grades: K–12 Educators
Availability for Educators: NYC, National
Season: School Year, Summer Program

Ensemble Connect, a two-year fellowship program for extraordinary professional classical musicians in the US, partners with public schools throughout New York City. Each fellow is partnered with an instrumental music teacher, bringing mastery of their instrument and a professional performer’s perspective to music classrooms.

Grades: 3–12
Availability for Educators: NYC
Season: School Year

Through grants and professional development, PlayUSA supports community organizations that offer music education programs to K–12 students, including those for whom opportunities to engage in instrumental music instruction are limited by socioeconomic, geographic, or other factors. Organizations can apply annually for funding to bring PlayUSA to their community.

Grades: K–12
Availability for Organizations: NYC, National
Season: School Year

Through six curated programs for grades K–2, artists with personal and cultural connections to the music they teach share rich and diverse songs, dances, traditions, stories, and more.

Topics: Instruments, Composers
Activities: Listening, Watching, Singing, Movement
Time commitment: 15 minutes–2 hours

Introduce your students to the sounds of the orchestra with this robust collection of lesson plans, student activities, and teaching videos for grades 3–5.

Topics: Orchestra, Instruments, Composers
Activities: Listening, Singing, Movement, Recorder Playing
Time commitment: 45 minutes–2 hours

On Carnegie Hall Kids, children learn about music through fun quizzes, robust games, interactive maps, performance videos, and more. Explore a kid-friendly website that ignites imagination, encourages musical curiosity, and develops knowledge of musical concepts.

Ages: 5–12

The Music Educators Toolbox features free online resources for music teachers that include lesson plans and activities, assessments, video examples, and documented best practices.

Grades: K–12

Find inspiration in this framework developed by the Weill Music Institute as a set of guiding principles for music teachers across all settings.

Grades: K–12

In this five-part course, your students can join producer and percussionist Charles Burchell in his digital music studio to play around with tools and learn how to create loops, beats, basslines, melodies, and arrangements.

Topics: Digital Media, Music Production
Activities: Watching, Participatory Course
Time commitment: 30 minutes–2 hours

In this five-part course, songwriter and performer Bridget Barkan details how to write a meaningful original song. She shares how to first find inspiration and generate song ideas, then write a chorus, bridge, and verses, before putting the final touches on your composition.

Topics: Voice, Songwriting
Activities: Watching, Participatory Course
Time commitment: 20 minutes–2 hours

The Timeline of African American Music is an interactive digital resource that presents the remarkable diversity of African American music, revealing the unique characteristics of each genre and style, from the earliest folk traditions to present-day popular music.

Grades: K–12

Through a series of enlightening conversations with extraordinary educators, this six-part series offers invaluable answers and insights. Learn about the unique approaches and personal histories of masterful music teachers, discover what drives them to teach, and be inspired by stories of their life-changing successes.

Age Range: Educators

The Perelman American Roots curriculum explores the legacy of African American Spirituals. The program was designed and originally published in conjunction with HONOR! A Celebration of African American Cultural Legacy, a Carnegie Hall festival that took place in March 2009 and curated by the late Jessye Norman.

Grades: 6–8

Expand your lesson plans and curriculums, experience education in action with master class and workshop videos, or further develop your teaching skills with tips, tools, and inspiration from top music educators.

Grades: K–12