Here are 5 free Musical Futures International resources that are well worth a look when you get back to school. All practical, all easy to use, and all designed to get your classes playing music quickly and easily.
No fluff, just stuff that works.
1. Curriculum mapping without the headache
If you’re staring at a blank long term plan and wondering where to start, the curriculum mapping tool is a lifesaver. You can line up Musical Futures International resources with your specific curriculum objectives and actually see how everything fits together. It’s really useful if you want to justify what you’re doing musically while still keeping lessons practical and student led. Just pick your curriculum from the dropdown box and you’re good to go - total gamechanger!
2. Build your own charts with the chord bank
The Just Play chord bank is one of those downloads you’ll keep coming back to. Use it to create your own lead sheets, chord charts or simple parts for bands. It works brilliantly if you like adapting songs for your groups or need different levels of support without rewriting everything from scratch and if you’ve used our amazing Just Play resources or our popular playalongs, then your students should already be familiar with how to read these charts.
3. Jam grid magic
The jam grid is perfect for getting students playing quickly. Pick a key, choose a progression and off you go. It’s great for warm ups, cover work, or those lessons where you want students making music within minutes. It also sneaks in loads of harmonic understanding without feeling like theory and is a great way to encourage students to listen for what sounds good, then reflect on why some progressions work better than others to achieve musical outcomes.
4. Chord cards for your walls
Print these, laminate them and stick them everywhere. The chord cards are ideal for group work when students want to check a chord without stopping the whole room. They support independence and keep the focus on playing rather than hands up and waiting for help. They also make a useful classroom display which students can keep coming back to!
5. Sequencing made simple
If sequencing feels like a big leap for some of your classes, the rhythm sequencing resources make it manageable. The grids and examples are clear and flexible, whether you’re working with apps, DAWs or just planning patterns on paper. It’s a great way to link rhythm work with music technology without overcomplicating things.