Age Level:  High School
Class:  Arts and Humanities (adaptable to other subject areas)

My arts and humanities curriculum includes a review of the elements of the arts.  Before jumping into music theory, I have my students write music reviews.  Here are a few of the reasons that my students and I enjoy writing music reviews:

1.  Students enjoy sharing information about their favorite music album.
2.  It provides students with the opportunity for authentic writing.
3.  Higher level learning occurs as students work to analyze and evaluate their music.
4.  Writing the phrases to describe music give students a chance to play with language.