Music Expressions™ Grade 6 (Middle School 1): Musical: It's All About Music! (Teacher Edition): Book & 2 CDs

This package transforms musical theatre from a performance-only experience into a structured nine-lesson curriculum, so students build understanding alongside their rehearsal. The flexible casting model means every student finds a role, whether your class has fifteen participants or fifty, eliminating the exclusion that can plague school musicals. Pairing an inclusive, age-appropriate story with full teaching materials and accompaniment CDs makes this genuinely classroom-ready.

Accessible and celebratory, with music that sits comfortably in young singers' voices and a story that speaks directly to adolescents navigating differences and community. The production invites genuine participation rather than spectacle, creating a sense of ensemble ownership.

Music teachers in middle school (grades 6-8) who want to create an inclusive classroom musical experience without requiring advanced rehearsal infrastructure. This works equally well for general music classes, chorus programs, or combined ensembles seeking a thematic production that reinforces social-emotional learning.

• Map your casting strategy early by reading through all roles; the numerous parts let you assign based on individual strengths rather than forcing traditional voice types.
• Use the two CDs during rehearsals to build ensemble familiarity with the accompaniment before adding staging, so singers can focus on music first.
• Establish consistent performance cues by having students follow along in their vocal books while the recorded accompaniment plays during full run-throughs.
• Build confidence in smaller ensemble sections by rehearsing them separately from the full company, then layer them together gradually.

Schedule this as a winter or spring concert special event that doubles as your unit on musical theatre, using the nine-lesson structure to build content systematically rather than cramming rehearsals into a few weeks. The accompanying worksheets and journal pages integrate naturally into regular class time, so the musical functions both as performance goal and curriculum anchor.

• Following conductors and ensemble cues in a theatrical context
• Singing in mixed ensembles with clear diction and consistent musicality
• Understanding form and structure in musical theatre songs
• Collaborating as performers toward a shared artistic goal
• Interpreting text and theme through song and staging choices
• Building confidence as public performers in age-appropriate repertoire