Sometimes as a teacher it can be difficult to create great lesson plans—something interesting that both you and the students will enjoy. This can be especially hard for music teachers. I am a huge advocate for teaching music history along side musical instruments. I believe that students should know of the musical giants that came before them. Here is just an example of possible lessons. You can either spend a whole day on one composer or just do a short profile on a few composers—whichever you think the students would appreciate and enjoy more.

Monteverdi: This Italian composer was fundamental in the switch from Renaissance to Baroque style music. Monteverdi was actually ordained a Catholic priest in 1632. Throughout his life, he wrote many successfully beautiful pieces. His last two pieces before he died were operas (The Return of Ulysses and The Coronation of Poppea).

Pachelbel: He was a German composer and teacher. Pachelbel wrote over 200 organ pieces. Sadly, only about 100 of those works survived. He not only composed for organs, but for keyboards as well.

Joseph Haydn: He is known as the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet". He was a composer from the classical era—one of the most well-known. He had many jobs that were unfulfilling, but he finally landed a few jobs within the households of Austrian nobility.

Handel: Famous for his operas, oratorios, and concerti grossi, German-born Baroque composer Handel was most well-known for "Messiah"—which was set to the texts of the Bible (King James Version). At just nine years old, Handel began to compose his own music.

Puccini: Famous for "Madama Butterfly" and "La Boheme", Puccini was an Italian composer of operas. Puccini came from a long line of musical prodigies—five generations to be exact. He composed his first piece at the age of 21, and it continued on since then.

Beethoven: He is one of the most influential and well-respected composer in history. Beethoven was a German composer and virtuoso pianist. In his early twenties, Beethoven began to lose his hearing. Eventually he became completely deaf. The amazing thing about all of it is that he continued to compose after he was fully deaf.

Brahms: This German composer was prominent in the Romantic period. His father was his first music teacher, and Brahms and his brother used to play in restaurants for extra income for the family. Brahms was extremely influenced by the work of Beethoven and many other Romantic composers.

There are so many different musical legends that can be discussed—and you wouldn't have to repeat for quite a while. The above are just brief profiles; you could go so much more in depth. The details of their lives and their legacies are incredibly intriguing. Music teacher resources are abundant; you just have to look for opportunities.

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