Music Expressions™ Grade 6 (Middle School 1): MIDI Keyboard (Student Edition): Book

Empowering and creative. Students move from learning keyboard basics to actually composing, arranging, and hearing themselves as recording artists. The progression feels achievable because each lesson builds logically toward the final multi-track project.

Middle school students in Grade 6 who are ready to explore music creation beyond traditional classroom instruments. This book works for general music classes, technology-integrated music programs, or electives where students have access to electronic keyboards and computers.

• Start with hands-on exploration of the keyboard before diving into theory. Let students play and discover sounds; formal instruction lands better when curiosity is already engaged.
• Encourage students to listen critically to their recordings. Playback is a teaching moment; have them identify what works and what needs adjustment before moving to the next lesson.
• Use the multi-track arrangement projects as collaborative opportunities. Pair students to layer different instrumental parts, reinforcing how arranging decisions affect the overall sound.

Use this as the core text for a semester-long keyboard and composition unit in general music or a dedicated digital music elective. The nine lessons fit naturally into a typical grading period, with the final CD recording serving as a tangible capstone project that students can share with families.

• Electronic keyboard navigation and basic performance technique
• Understanding sound properties and how electronic instruments modify them
• Identifying and applying the elements of music in original compositions
• Music arranging for multiple instruments and voices
• Recording, editing, and multi-track production fundamentals
• Listening and critical evaluation of recorded arrangements