How do I grow my studio or program? How do I generate interest in my program or studio? How do I keep my interested students interested? These are just some of the questions music teachers are constantly thinking about. In my opinion, the easiest way to generate interest in an instrument (as well as motivation to practice) is through performances. Specifically performances that the students are eager to participate in because they are excited by the music.

When choosing concert repertoire for your students, there are many things to keep in mind: skill level, type of ensemble, length of time to prepare for the performance, how many pieces to program, length of performance, teaching goals, etc.. It’s easy enough to find a piece of music that suits your ensemble's needs, but finding a piece of music they will also enjoy can be a challenge.

As a teacher, I am constantly trying to find the correct balance of letting my students play music they already know and like (which is mostly popular music), while also exposing them to "the essential classics". This means I am always searching for new pieces to add into my teaching repertoire so I can find a healthy balance between music that is relevant to their lives and music that is relevant to their learning.

Earlier this year in March, we connected with studio and classroom teachers alike through our Studio Kit Giveaway on TikTok. Teachers entered the giveaway by commenting the pieces their students loved to play.

Here are all of the responses we received:

Click here for the full spreadsheet of recommended music sorted by difficulty, type of ensemble, as well as where to find the music.

Let's keep going!

Don't see your piece and want to add to our list? Fill out this quick Google Form.