Here’s a list of 30 theme ideas for music studio events! Themes can be used as the studio theme for the school year, or for summer music camps, or for studio recitals. If used for the studio theme for the whole year, there are a number of ways the theme can be incorporated: the incentive program, group lesson activities, worksheets, games, food, decorations, dress, recital repertoire, etc., can all be coordinated to fit the theme.
- Medieval Times | castles, knights, princesses
- Fantasy | same as above, plus dragons, wizards, etc.
- Mystery |detective, private eye, clues, magnifying glass, footprints, fingerprints, evidence
- International / Around the World | choose a specific country, or give a survey of a few different countries (Egypt, Africa, etc.) world music, cultures. For example……
- Fiesta | sombrero, maracas, dances
- Tropical | surfing, luau, grass skirts, steel drums, Caribbean/Hawaiian music, palm trees
- Winter | snow, icicles, skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, cold, mittens, scarves, snowmen
- Carnival / Circus | ringmaster, tightrope walker, elephant, tickets
- Art | colors, brushes, make connections between art and music. Activity: compose songs named after colors.
- Roller coster park | use this theme to study musical forms (e.g., ABA), or musical styles.
- Animal Planet | animals galore! Activity: try matching animal characteristics to how different music sounds.
- The Great Outdoors / camping | campfire, singing, woods, lantern
- Under the Sea | ocean, waves, fish, jellyfish, dolphins, sharks, seaweed, treasure, sunken ship, scuba diver
- Barnyard | farm, farmer, animals, fields, crops, harvest, tractors, seeds
- Construction | bulldozers, dump trucks, CAUTION tape, hard hats, orange cones, STOP, GO, workers
- Jungle Safari | lions, giraffes, jeep, binoculars
- Wild West | cowboys, saloon, ghost town, cowboy hats/boots, bandanas, sheriff, horses, saddles, lasso
- Pirates | pirate ship, pirates, buried treasure, treasure maps, scavenger hunt
- Desert Oasis | cockroaches, oasis, palm trees, sand
- Olympic Games | fitness, games, exercise, practice
- Going Green | recycle, be efficient (with practice time)
- Splish Splash | water bottles, droplets, river, brook, ocean, puddle, rain, hydration, summer, squirt guns, pool
- Outer Space | stars, moon, sun, rocket ships, astronauts, aliens, ufo’s. Natalie is doing a space theme in her studio this year and it looks fabulous!
- Futuristic / Time Travel | contemporary music, technology in music
- Race cars | finish line, car, tires, gasoline, checkered flag, trophy. Activity: do timed worksheets for naming note on the staff.
- USA / Patriotic / Stars & Stripes | USA history, fireworks, wear red, white, and blue, or wear stars/stripes! Activity: learn about American composers.
- The magic of music | magician, magic tricks, deck of cards, top hat, magic wand, rabbit, gloves. Activity: discuss how music has the power to affect your emotions, change your mood, influence you to do something, etc.
- Blast from the Past | choose an era of music history: Classical, Romantic, Baroque, etc. Dress old-fashioned, eat popular treats from back then, etc.
- The Great Composers | choose a specific set of composers, and focus on one each day/week/month.
- Musical Instruments | learn about the parts of the piano, or the instruments of the orchestra. Discuss timbre, register, range, tuning, etc.
Please share any additional ideas you have, or any resources you’ve found to be helpful for planning a themed event for your music studio!
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/peasap/ / CC BY 2.0
Thankyou for the excellent studio themes list Joy! This will be a great reference for me as I enjoy being creative and using props in my teaching. I have different themes for our annual concert, the beginning of each of our four ‘back to school’ terms, group classes, our annual music-a-thon and for weekly ‘carpet time’ activities. I have begun photographing some of the themes for sharing on my music studio facebook page. Now you have inspired me to make a list of all the themes I have used so far and I’m looking forward to this enjoyable trip down memory lane.
Susan………..I would love to see those pictures!
excellent ideas…keep it up!
Every year in January ( after all the holidays) I work with the children to create a poem. Each one ( no matter what age) is responsible to write a poem then write the music for the poem to become a song. We have so much fun doing this and when we have a recital during March, the students play their own songs for their parents and family.
Once a year we have a Family and Friends recital. Essentially a duet recital, but sometimes larger ensembles – a family with clarinet, tuba and 4 hand piano playing When the Saints. Teens come with singers and guitarists. Parents love this event, so we do it annually.
I loved this, I will definitely keep this in mind!!!
Thank you for the great ideas on your website. I use a different theme to decorate the studio every hear and I use it on assignment sheets, motivation magnet/wipe boards where we track practice time and milestones. I have used. Wizards/Harry Potter Jungle Broadway Under the Sea/Dory Cars and driving to our goals on the walls in classroom. I have not decided this coming years theme. So thanks for the ideas.
Those are great ideas, Pamela!!