Hi everyone,
I’m excited to share this resource I’ve been using with my Year 8 students. It’s a creative project designed to introduce students to digital music-making using GarageBand for Mac, and it’s likely to span several lessons depending on your schedule and class needs.
Students have really enjoyed the opportunity to create music regardless of their prior experience. Whether they’re just starting out or already have musical skills, this task supports them to build engaging tracks using both MIDI and real audio recordings.
The focus is on exploring musical elements including timbre, texture, pitch, and structure. Students compare real instruments like piano and guitar with digital versions, and reflect on how technology enables accessible music creation. One highlight was having a beginner student use a colour-coded MIDI keyboard to play in a simple chord progression, then enhance it using GarageBand’s features like arpeggiators and smart rhythms — opening up creative possibilities without years of lessons or expensive studio gear.
As part of the lesson, I guide students to recreate this exact project themselves. This helps them build a solid foundation in the basics of GarageBand — layering, using MIDI, loops, effects, and structure. Once they’ve completed the demo project, they move on to create their own original compositions based on their musical tastes and newly developed skills.
The GarageBand project file includes:
- A partially completed template to help students get started
- Colour-coded MIDI instrument tracks to support chord-building
- Structure guidance using the arrangement section
- Examples of layering, automation, and contrasting timbres
- Space and prompts for students to add their own loops, melodies, or recordings
Learning intentions:
- Use GarageBand to explore timbre, pitch, texture, and structure
- Understand the difference between MIDI and real audio
- Apply loops, melodies, and chords to create original music
- Reflect on how music production technology supports accessibility and creativity
I have full video tutorials available on YouTube for anyone interested in a step-by-step guide to building this project.
Feel free to adapt it for your own classroom and let me know how it goes.
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Attach up to 5 files which will be available for other members to download.