The end of the year in middle school music can go one of two ways: productive or feral.
If you’re not keen on “movie week” but also don’t want to build a brand-new unit from scratch, a Music Classroom Olympics can be a practical middle ground.
Students choose from a set of musical “events,” prepare their entries, and perform live or submit recordings. It works with band, choir, or general music, and it’s easy to adapt to the devices you already use, especially if you’re building practical technology integration into your program.
How It Works
Start by creating a menu of musical “events.” You can use the sample ideas below or adapt them to suit your program.
Ask students to enter at least two events. Some teachers let students choose; others assign events strategically to balance strengths across the class.
Students rehearse their entries and then either:
- Perform live in class, or
- Submit a short video recording
If students are recording, tools like Loom or Screencastify work well, particularly if you’re already using Chromebooks or iPads.
Once all entries are complete, you can award bronze, silver, and gold medals. If you prefer a more formal approach, a simple rubric works just as well.
Event Ideas
You can keep this simple or expand it depending on your program. Here are some event ideas that work well in middle school band, choir, or general music.
Performance-Based Events
- Sight-Reading Sprint: Perform a short excerpt with limited preparation time.
- Scales Challenge: Play or sing a scale accurately at a set tempo.
- Rhythm Relay: Clap or perform a notated rhythm with precision.
- Memorisation Medal: Perform a short piece or excerpt from memory.
Creativity and Composition Events
- Eight-Bar Composition: Write and perform a short original piece.
- Improvisation Challenge: Improvise over a simple chord progression or backing track.
- Theme Variation: Take a familiar melody and create a variation.
- Soundtrack Sprint: Compose music to match a short video clip or image.
Quick Skill Challenges
- Tempo Test: Adjust and maintain a steady tempo with a metronome.
- Dynamics Dash: Perform a passage demonstrating clear dynamic contrast.
- Articulation Accuracy: Perform a short excerpt focusing on articulation.
You can award medals for each event, or rotate through them over several lessons so every student has a chance to participate.
Assessment Options
You can keep this informal and award medals based on class voting or simple teacher judgement.
If you’d prefer something more structured, a quick rubric works well. You might assess accuracy, preparation, creativity, or stage presence, depending on the event.
Because students choose their events, you can keep criteria broad and consistent. This makes marking manageable and avoids creating separate rubrics for every activity.
If you’re already using recordings for submission, those can double as assessment evidence.
Want More Ready-to-Use Projects Like This?
If you’d like a ready-to-use version of this project — with student-ready video instructions and assessment tools included — you’ll find that inside the Midnight Music Community.
