This mini-unit explores how composers, songwriters, and producers use different techniques to build suspense, anxiety, and fear in their music. Perfect for Halloween in upper level music courses, this unit contains a presentation, student worksheets, a teacher guide, and a…
This collection is designed with materials and activities to support the onsite Fight the Power field trip program.
This collection is designed with materials and activities to support the onsite Play it Loud field trip program.
Looking to bring more music into your classroom? Want to use music as a way to connect with your students, teach order and sequence, manage their endless energy? At the Rock Hall we believe in an interdisciplinary approach, using music…
On the third Monday of January each year, US citizens celebrate the life and work of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The young Baptist minister began work as an activist for civil rights and racial equality in the 1950s. In that same decade, a new music style called “rock and roll” blasted out of…
This collection is designed with materials and activities to support the onsite Roots of Rock and Roll program.
This collection is designed with materials and activities to support the onsite Evolution of Hip Hop education program.
This collection is designed with materials and activities to support the onsite Hello, Cleveland! education program.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame partners with Cuyahoga Community College to offer a History of Rock & Roll course to their students, where the museum becomes their classroom! The items in this collection serve as assignments, in-class work, and…
Songwriter, groundbreaking producer, label executive, and video trendsetter, Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott was crucial to crafting the Virginia Beach sound that took over the airwaves in the late 1990s and 2000s. She established herself as an in-demand songwriter and producer and…
Aretha Franklin is the first woman Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. She is nicknamed the “Queen of Soul” for her powerful, distinct voice. Use this collection to introduce students to Aretha Franklin. Listen to…
In every generation, Black rock and roll artists have elevated the conversation about race, equality, justice, and peace. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 2020 exhibit “It’s Been Said All Along: Voices of Rage, Hope, & Empowerment” shows how…
Hip hop artist and educator (and Cleveland native) Jahi has spent his career thinking about how hip hop and education intersect, and he helped us curate this collection to teach students about hip hop’s past and present. Jahi’s playlist “Music…
How do we get students to actively listen? We all know listening to music is fun, but active listening takes some practice. Use this collection to help students develop their music listening skills. Encourage younger learners to listen to their…
Cleveland, OH is the home of The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Cleveland's history with rock & roll dates back to the 1940s in sound and the 1950s with Alan Freed and his Moondog Coronation radio show and Coronation…
There is no shortage of visual mediums in music: album art, posters, fan art, fanzines, and stage shows. Visual art is a wonderful way to interpret, express and reflect on what we hear in sound and music. Use this collection…
Democracy is built on the ability to debate, dissent and discuss issues that affect all citizens including social services, economic strategies, homeland defense, and civil rights. In order for progress to occur leaders and citizens alike must practice civil discourse.…
Political movements and campaigns harness the power of music as a vehicle for expressing their messages to constituents and opponents alike. While speeches can be long and dry, songs are typically brief but can be packed full of agendas, and more importantly, can evoke emotions that…
This collection was made in collaboration with Robert Randolph, known for his gospel music featuring the pedal steel guitar. Use this collection to introduce students to Robert Randolph and his music. Check out the first few videos where Randolph demonstrates how…
This collection is a supplement for the groundbreaking exhibition curated by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame that is an immersive complement to Peter Jackson's docuseries, “The Beatles: Get Back.” Fans experience The Beatles’ creative journey through the exhibit’s original instruments,…
What is wellness? Wellness encompasses a wide range of health, from physical and mental, to emotional and spiritual, and even social and financial. Wellness is personal and collective with our environments impacting our wellbeing too. Use this collection for engaging…
Music was an integral part of the 1950s & 1960s civil rights movement. From Aretha Franklin and Mahalia Jackson to Sam Cooke and the Staple Singers, musicians have regularly played a role in advocating for change. Musicians often stood alongside Dr.…
Entrepreneurs take ideas and put them into action. These ideas usually manifest as a business that develops opportunities for the entrepreneur and those they hire. To be successful, business owners, especially new business owners, need to have a clear vision…
On the third Monday of January each year, US citizens celebrate the life and work of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The young Baptist minister began work as an activist for civil rights and racial equality in the 1950s. In that same decade, a new music style called “rock and roll” blasted out of…
The music was simple: three chords and a backbeat. Heartland rock combined elements from country, folk, rockabilly, and rhythm and blues. Across the Rust Belt and the Midwest, America’s “heartland,” this music discussed blue-collar life and became the soundtrack of…
In the 1960s, creative musicians flocked to Laurel Canyon in Southern California, creating a hotbed of creativity. Bands like folk rock pioneers the Byrds began the movement, and many singer-songwriters like James Taylor, Carole King, and Joni Mitchell followed suit.…
As writer, scholar and imagineer Greg Tate said, an essential quality of Black culture is the simultaneous practice of maintaining tradition while moving and thinking ahead. Afrofuturism is an aesthetic and philosophy celebrating Black heritage through a futuristic perspective. Afrofuturism…
High School Rock Off is an annual battle of the bands for middle and high school students at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Bands compete for prizes for their school's music program as well as the bragging rights…
Rock & Roll's tree comes from many roots. Some of the most commonly discussed roots of rock & roll are (in no particular order) blues, country, gospel, jazz, and rhythm & blues. Use this collection to note the different musical…
Otis Redding was a titan of soul. His live performances crackled with energy, electrifying audiences with the pure power of his expression. The posthumous single, "(Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay" held the #1 spot on the Billboard charts…
Winter Holidays often remind us to reflect on joy, laughter, cheer, and goodwill. Music we associate with this time of year reflects these festive feelings through classic holiday songs as well as songs with a more specific purpose. Younger students…
Protest music in rock & roll is used as a tool to call for political and social change throughout history. Topics range from civil rights, war, poverty, environmentalism, racial discrimination, personal identity, to women’s equality. As a form of activism,…
"War...What is it good for?" The 1968 Motown song "War" posed this eternal question. "War" was originally recorded by The Temptations followed by a version by Edwin Starr, which reached Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart in 1970. The song's lyrics…
We look to pioneers to break new ground, open doors, and innovate new paths. Pioneers see potential in the unknown and inspire others with their innovations and vision. There are many pioneers in early rock & roll. Each of the…
Latin music significantly influenced the sounds of Motown, jazz, and rock and roll. American bass guitarist Carol Kaye calls jazz “one third Latin,” and points out that many jazz bass lines are related to the samba, an Afro-Brazilian style of…
With more than 300 different tribes throughout North America, "Native American" or Indigenous people across the continent vary greatly in their musical expression. These expressions influenced music like the blues and eventually rock and roll. Rockers of Indigenous culture and…
Toddler Rock is an on-site Rock Hall program dedicated to the social-emotional learning of pre-K learners while also developing foundations for literacy and numeracy. It is powered by PNC in partnership with the Beck Center for the Arts. This collection features videos and activities taken straight from…
Artists use songs to tell stories from different perspectives. Their lyrics and sound choices influence how audiences interpret an artist's work. Audiences might seek out music that speaks to their experiences or gets them outside of their comfort zone. Such…
Rock and roll history is filled with iconic moments and imagery. Sometimes these moments become part of our cultural history and personal memory, and photography captures and preserves those instances. A well-shot photo will do more: depict an emotion, display…
This collection highlights the electric guitar, one of the most influential instruments throughout the history of rock & roll. Students can watch the video about the electric guitar to learn about how it works and what its role is in…
The month of May celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage. This covers an enormous, varied umbrella of cultures, traditions, and sounds spanning from the Pacific Islands (ex: Hawaii, Fiji Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, etc.) through South Asia (ex: India, Bangladesh,…
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame teaches a section of MUS 1030: History of Rock & Roll for Cuyahoga Community College where the museum becomes their classroom! The items in this collection serve as assignments, in-class work, and optional…
Join the Rock Hall's Education Team for "From The Bronx to The Hall," a themed visit to the Rock Hall with live presentations, self-guided museum exploration, and hands-on interactive experiences in The Garage. Choosing from a menu of programming available…
Co-organized with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock & Roll is the largest single exhibit the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has ever displayed. Instruments showcased span from 1939 to today and many have never…
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Education team designed on-site education programming experiences to engage student groups throughout the Rock Hall’s exhibit spaces. The programs and activities throughout the day at the Rock Hall will help students answer these…
Visiting the Rock Hall with students? Looking for ideas and advice on how to teach with this really unique and awesome museum? Doing a lesson on the Rock Hall in general? We've got materials to help! Use this collection to…
Not since the early days of rock & roll has an African American-driven cultural art form taken such a strong hold on mainstream American society as hip-hop. Use this collection to explore some of the top hip-hop names and Rock Hall Inductees…
Music as a form of protest and advocacy is not a new concept to rock and roll. Artists from many different eras and styles of rock and roll share their passion for change through lyrics and music, reaching a wide…
Voice Your Choice is a project that invites students to create their own Inductee class. Who would they choose to induct into their own Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and why? The goal is to teach students to develop the ability…
What should you listen for in a song? What can examining a musical artifact tell us? What really goes on behind the scenes of a performance or recording? How do songwriters and performers use the music they create for engaging in social…
Looking for a starting point with your students in your rock history course? Rock Hall EDU's short guide series summarizes various topics and musical styles commonly covered in rock history courses (including the Rock Hall's course with Ohio's Cuyahoga Community…
This collection showcases assets that guide learners in understanding popular music's role in furthering the goals of the Civil Rights Movement, developing the aesthetic of Afrofuturism, and celebrating examples of Black Excellence in musicianship, songwriting, and entrepreneurship.
The NFL's Super Bowl Halftime Show has been one of the most watched televised events of every year for decades. The shows often have specific themes that convey messages while also celebrating an artist or band's career. Being a unique medium, the…
From the beginning, women have always been a part of the rock and roll story. From the early gospel and blues singers to the first rock stars to modern hip-hop and pop divas and more, women have been and are…
