I believe as music teachers we play an important role and bring the world to our students and building empathy for others' perspectives. I grew up across 3 continents, and spent the better part of the first decade of my teaching career in international schools, and since then have taught as a white teacher in a primarily non-white, low-income population school in the US. I have spent my career listening, learning, trying out, and looking for ways to incorporate materials, values, and perspectives from around the world into my classroom, and I am very much still learning. I definitely am not an expert but if you are looking for resources to do the same, here is a place to start.
I am compiling below Organized Chaos articles with resources, songs, ideas, and lesson activities from a broad range of perspectives. Scroll or click below to find lists of posts organized alphabetically under the following topics:
3. Racial / Ethnic Groups / Heritage Months / Holidays
4. Other Minoritized Perspectives (gender, genres, special education, etc)
5. General Topics, Compilations, and Ideas
This page is actively being updated with new resources as I write them. If you are looking for a specific topic you don't see here, or you have found a valuable perspective from a culture bearer that you think would be helpful to share with others, please email me or comment below!
Bolivia
Mi Gallito, La Mariposa, Carnavalito, and Boquita Colorada for class performances
Bolivian music unit lesson ideas
Brazil
Batucada, Escatumbararibe, and Tambores for class performances
Brazilian music unit lesson ideas
China
Lunar New Year lesson ideas from China
Chinese music unit lesson ideas
Colombia
Vallenato and Juguemos En El Bosque for class performances
Congo, Democratic Republic of
Germany
Es Regnet, Wenn Es Regnen Will lesson ideas
Hmong (Laos)
Nine-In-One, Grr! Grr! lesson ideas
India
Kochu Puccha and Chakkardi Bhammardi for class performances
Ireland
Japan
Akatonbo, Sakura, and Tokyo Ondo for class performances
Ame, Ame/ Amefuri lesson ideas
Japanese music unit lesson ideas
Korea
Arirang, fan dance, and traditional drumming for class performances
Seollal (Korean Lunar New Year) song
Laos (Hmong)
Nine-In-One, Grr! Grr! lesson ideas
Liberia
"Kokoleoko" for elementary choir "shine" theme concert
Maori (New Zealand)
Poi: how to make, lesson ideas
Tutira Mai, poi with Hine E Hine, and tititorea with E Papa Waiari for class performances
Morocco
Mozambique
Bombela and timbila for class performances
Mozambican music unit lesson ideas
Native American
Current Native American Musicians to feature
Indigenous American Resources for Music Teachers
Native American Heritage Month
Native American music unit lesson ideas
Water Song, Navajo Happy Song, Iroquois Ho Ho Watanay, and Sioux Epanay for class performances
New Zealand (Maori)
Poi: how to make, lesson ideas
Tutira Mai, poi with Hine E Hine, and tititorea with E Papa Waiari for class performances
Palestine
Contemporary Palestinian Musicians for elementary music
Philippines
Bahay Kubo, tinikling, and Magtanim Ay Di Biro for class performances
Philippine music unit lesson ideas
Puerto Rico
South Africa
Sweden
Thailand
"Ngam Sang Duan" - "Shining Moon" for elementary choir "shine" theme concert
Ukraine
Vietnam
Tet / Lunar New Year song/ lesson ideas
Algonquin (Native American)
Arabic
"Achtatata" Moroccan song lesson ideas
Brazilian Portuguese
Batucada, Escatumbararibe, and Tambores for class performances
Brazilian music unit lesson ideas
Chinese (Mandarin)
Cowboy song and other Chinese music unit lesson ideas
Filipino / Tagalog
Bahay Kubo, tinikling, and Magtanim Ay Di Biro for class performances
Philippine music unit lesson ideas
German
Es Regnet, Wenn Es Regnen Will lesson ideas
Gujarati (India)
Hmong (Laos)
Nine-In-One, Grr! Grr! lesson ideas
Iroquois (Native American)
Japanese
Akatonbo, Sakura, and Tokyo Ondo for class performances
Ame, Ame/ Amefuri lesson ideas
Japanese music unit lesson ideas
Korean
"Golden" for elementary choir "colors" theme concert
Arirang, fan dance, and traditional drumming for class performances
Seollal (Korean Lunar New Year) song
Lingala (Democratic Republic of Congo)
Malayalam (India)
Mandarin (China)
Cowboy song and other Chinese music unit lesson ideas
Maori (New Zealand)
Tutira Mai, poi with Hine E Hine, and tititorea with E Papa Waiari for class performances
Sign Language
Sign Language in the music room
Spanish
Bolivian music unit lesson ideas
"De Colores/ All the Beautiful Colors" for elementary choir "colors" theme concert
Hispanic Heritage Month Playlist
"Hola, Media Luna" for elementary choir "shine" theme concert
"Hushabye, Nanita Nana" for elementary choir "stars" theme concert
Mi Gallito, La Mariposa, Carnavalito, and Boquita Colorada for class performances
Vallenato and Juguemos En El Bosque for class performances
Swedish
Tagalog / Filipino
Bahay Kubo, tinikling, and Magtanim Ay Di Biro for class performances
Philippine music unit lesson ideas
Thai
"Ngam Sang Duan" - "Shining Moon" for elementary choir "shine" theme concert
Ukrainian
Vietnamese
Tet / Lunar New Year song/ lesson ideas
Xhosa (South Africa)
Racial / Ethnic Groups / Heritage Months / Holidays
AAPI
AAPI instrumentalists: Naoko Yoshino, Zeng Yun
AAPI instrumentalists: Bernice Lee, Meliani Siti Sumartini, Daniel Matsukawa
Black
"Allie All Along" lesson ideas
Black children's musicians for early childhood music
Black instrumentalists: Aaron Grooves and Justin Vibes
"Max Found Two Sticks" lesson ideas
"Whistle for Willie" lesson ideas
Heritage Months
Hispanic / Latine Heritage Month Playlist
Hispanic / Latine Heritage Month
Native American Heritage Month
Hispanic/ Latine
Hispanic/ Latine instrumentalists: Hiram Diaz
Hispanic/ Latine instrumentalists: Esperanza Spalding
"Niko Draws a Feeling" lesson ideas
Holidays
Inclusive holiday sing-along ideas (Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Diwali, Eid, Lunar New Year)
Lunar New Year lesson activities
Race (general)
Race in the music room: representation
Race in the music room: respect
Other Minoritized Perspectives (gender, genres, special education, etc)
Female
Female musicians to feature part 1
Female musicians to feature part 2
Hip-Hop
Decolonizing our approach to hip-hop
Developing rap skills in elementary music
General music and performing ensemble class ideas for incorporating hip-hop
"Hip and Hop Don't Stop" book lesson
Introducing hip-hop in elementary music
Instrument stereotypes
Instrumentalists of color part 2
Instrumentalists to counter stereotypes
Pop music
Elementary music lessons using pop songs
How and why to use pop songs with elementary choir
How to find good pop songs for elementary choir/ song list
How to use pop songs in elementary music lessons
Songs Representing Different Genres: March Madness Song Bracket
Viral songs in elementary music lessons
Why I listen to the radio every day
Special education
Self-contained special ed music classes
Students with special needs: representation
World Music (general)
Accurate representation of world cultures: strategies, lesson plans, and deep dive unit plans
Avoiding exoticism in world music lessons
How to find authentic world music sources
General Topics, Compilations, and Ideas
Big ideas
Anti-Racism in music education
Avoiding exoticism in our representation
Curriculum writing: means vs ends
Learning and pronouncing students' names correctly: why and how
Steps to Anti-Oppressive music teaching
Harmful/ misrepresented songs
3 songs you didn't know were American
Musicians to feature
Black, Latine, AAPI, Palestinian, Female, and more
Instrumentalists to Counter Stereotypes
Musicians with differing abilities
Programs/ Units/ Themes around the world
Books for music lessons by grade
Designing a Unit on a Culture's Music
Frog Songs and Lessons Around the World
International Music Festival Teacher's Guide
Songs and Dances from Around the World for Every Grade
World cultures deep dive unit plans for every grade
Reading/ Listening lists for teacher professional learning
Song/ Playlists
Hispanic Heritage Month Playlist
Songs Combining 2 or More Genres: MIOSM 2025 March Madness Song Bracket
Songs Combining 2 or More Languages: MIOSM 2026 March Madness Song Bracket
Songs Representing Different Genres: March Madness Song Bracket
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