JULY MUSIC LESSON TEACHING RESOURCES PART 1 for 2025

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This article lists the best music lesson teaching resources for music teachers in July. These materials are linked to real-life people and events, so MTR guarantees students will enjoy them.

3 JULY is Ruth Crawford Seeger's Birthday

Ruth Crawford Seeger was an American modernist composer and folk music specialist. She became an influential curator of American folk music.

Ruth's music influenced later composers, including Elliot Carter, one of the most respected composers of the second half of the 20th century.

Learn more about Ruth Crawford Seeger and her music with the research and listening activities in the following resource:

A piece to use with the Ruth Listening foldable is 'Rissolty Rissolty'.

3 JULY is Johnny Hartman's Birthday

John Maurice Hartman, popularly known as Johnny Hartman, was an American jazz singer who specialized in ballads. He sang and recorded with Earl Hines' and Dizzy Gillespie's big bands and with Erroll Garner. Hartman is best remembered for his collaboration in 1963 with saxophonist John Coltrane, John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman, a landmark album for him and Coltrane.

Introduce Hartman to your music students using this MTR resource.

4 JULY is Bill Withers' Birthday

Bill Withers was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Withers had a relatively short career of fifteen years. However, he still won three Grammy Awards and was nominated for six more.

Furthermore, Withers is the first songwriter to win three times for Grammy's Best R&B song. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015.

The following MTR resource focuses on Withers' life and music:

Listen to two versions of one of Bill's top songs, 'Aint No Sunshine'. The first is the original sung by him, and the second is a cover by Eva Cassidy.

7 JULY is Gustav Mahler's Birthday

Gustav Mahler was a Czech-Austrian composer and conductor. He was one of the last great composers of the Romantic period.

Mahler is noted for his ten symphonies and various songs with orchestra, which drew together many different strands of Romanticism.

This short video gives a good overview of Mahler's music and life.

The following MTR resource is for elementary students to research and record information about Mahler and his music:

8 JULY is Percy Grainger's Birthday

Percy Aldridge Grainger was an Australian-born U.S. pianist and composer. He played a considerable role in the revival of interest in British folk music in the early 20th century. In all, Grainger wrote more than 1,200 musical compositions and arrangements.

Elementary students will learn more about Grainger and his music in a fun and engaging way with this Word Search with a Research Activity.

10 JULY is Carl Orff's Birthday

Carl Orff was a German composer and an influential music educator noted for his innovations in elementary music education.

Have you ever heard of Orff's approach? Simply put, this method encourages children to experience music at their level of understanding. Carl Orff is the man behind this methodology.

Check out the following MTR resources focusing on Carl Orff and his music:

13 JULY is International Day of Rock n' Roll

This day celebrates the birth of rock 'n' roll and its impact on music and culture. It's a great opportunity for fans to enjoy their favorite rock music and for artists to pay tribute to the genre's pioneers.

Check out MTR's collection of resources to celebrate this day with your students by clicking any of the images below.