It’s October, which means it’s time to get spooky! 👻 And what better way to kick off your Halloween festivities than with some spooky classical music? If you’re not sure where to start or even how to find the right playlist for October, there are plenty of great options! Whether you’re in the classroom, homeschool, or would just love some engaging activities for your little ones – we’ve made Halloween music appreciation easy!
October Classical Music Ideas
If you don’t already have a go-to playlist of Halloween-inspired favorites, searching for the right musical selections could be pretty time consuming. We have saved you hours of planning time by curating twenty of the most iconic pieces of music for October!
- Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, Bach
- Totentanz, Liszt
- Mephisto Waltz, Liszt
- Aquarium, Saint-Saens
- O Fortuna, Orff
- Gnomus, Mussorgsky
- Night on Bald Mountain, Mussorgsky
- Der Vampyr, Marschner
- In the Hall of the Mountain King, Grieg
- The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Dukas
- Dance of the Knights, Prokofiev
- Danse Macabre, Saint-Saens
- Beethoven’s Silence, Cortazar
- Moonlight Sonata, Beethoven
- Piano Quintet in A Minor, Dvorak
- Lacrimosa, Mozart
- Scarbo, Ravel
- Lake in the Moonlight, Tchaikovsky
- Cuckoo in the Depths of the Woods, Saint-Saëns
- The Firebird, Igor Stravinsky
But we know you need more than just a playlist. You want your students to be engaged and listening actively. We’ve got you covered there, too!
Benefits of Classical Music Listening Activities
Classical music active listening activities are a great way to improve students’ listening skills, concentration, and appreciation of the arts. These activities can also help students develop their creativity and imagination. Some of the benefits of these activities are:
- increased knowledge of composers from different backgrounds
- familiarity with the composer’s works
- ability to recognize, and engage with, popular pieces of music
- identify different instrument sounds
- social-emotional exploration of feelings and moods within the music
- creative expression by drawing and choosing colors related to a musical theme
- observe seasonal/holiday influences within a composition
You’ll have everything you need for a month of classical music appreciation with 100+ listening activities in this activity vault. You will also receive periodic updates for this resource for free! Keep an eye on your “My Purchases” tab for update notifications.
Social-Emotional Learning
Listening to classical music has been shown to help with self-awareness, empathy, and self-regulation. Since social-emotional learning is essential for children, incorporating classical music into your classroom or homeschool is a great way to support their development.
Talk about the emotions evoked by the selected music. What does the music make them feel? Happy? Sad? Anxious? Peaceful? Help students identify and label their feelings. Ask open-ended questions about the music and encourage students to share their thoughts and feelings.
Discuss the different instruments used in the piece of music. What does each instrument contribute to the overall sound? Encourage students to make up a story based on the music. What is happening in the story? Who are the characters? Where does it take place?
While listening, students can draw a picture or scene that comes to mind. What colors are used? What shapes? Why?
Free Lifetime Updates
Our monthly classical music listening packs are a “vault” of activities. Not only do you get all of the resources currently included, but you’ll also receive access to any periodic updates for free! This is a great way to stretch your budget and really extend your use of these activities for many years to come.
What’s in the October Activity Pack?
You can preview the current October offerings below!
Do you need engaging print-and-go activities and brain breaks? The music featured in this activity packet is carefully curated and previewed – saving you hours of planning time. Just print and cue the music!
There are no wrong answers, and no musical training is required, so add a few to your sub plans, too!
Students can use the checkboxes to note how they feel and what they imagine while listening to a selected piece of music. Choose from the musical instruments, nature scenes, colors, and more!
While listening, students color the scene and choose the keywords/elements that resonate with their listening experience. There are also blank lines for writing in additional keywords. Students often engage in discussions about what they’ve heard or felt. Great for displaying!
Classical Space Tale listening sheets combine music appreciation with an intergalactic theme! Students compose their epic space tales by choosing the setting, characters, and familiar space objects inspired by the music. There’s also a drawing box for students to capture a scene from their imaginations.
Classical Fairy Tale listening sheets combine music appreciation with a storybook theme! Students compose their wondrous tale by choosing the setting, characters, and familiar fairy tale objects inspired by the music. There’s also a drawing box for students to capture a scene from their imaginations.
Autumn Story listening sheets combine music appreciation with a fall theme! Students compose their wondrous tales by choosing the setting, characters, and Autumn-themed objects inspired by the music. There’s also a drawing box for students to capture a scene from their imaginations. Discuss and display for further engagement!
¿Necesitas actividades atractivas de Halloween o planes sustitutos de música? ¡Estas hojas de escucha imprimibles ofrecen a los estudiantes formas creativas de aprender más sobre los tonos fantasmagóricos de la música de Halloween! Presentando las composiciones de Franz Liszt, Ludwig Van Beethoven y muchos más.
What did we miss?
We’d love to hear about your favorite classical music and all your best teaching ideas for October! Feel free to share in the comments below.
Agee & Row 