YourStateStandards

Minnesota K–6 music standards

Minnesota writes its own music standards. They are published as Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards in the Arts (2018), adopted 2018 and are not a version of a national framework. 45 of 63 are matched to a national standard.

63/63 K-6 music benchmarks, verbatim from MDE's official arts color-tables spreadsheet. Codes are MN's own 5-digit ArtsArea.Grade.Strand.Anchor.Benchmark (arts-area 3 = Music, grade digit 0 = K).

Framework
Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards in the Arts (2018)
Adopted
2018
Source last checked
July 24, 2026
Read the official document

63 standards, kindergarten through 6th grade

  • 3.0.2.2.1K

    Improvise musical sounds in response to teacher cues.

  • 3.0.2.3.1K

    Choose a musical sound to share.

  • 3.0.2.4.1K

    Change selected musical sounds using teacher feedback.

  • 3.0.3.5.1K

    Demonstrate moving, singing, and playing instruments with others.

  • 3.0.3.6.1K

    Make a musical choice while singing, playing instruments, or moving to explore the effects of musical elements. For example: High/low; loud/soft; fast/slow.

  • 3.0.4.7.1K

    Identify musical opposites while listening to and interacting with a variety of music.

  • 3.0.4.8.1K

    Identify which of two contrasting musical selections is preferred, and tell why.

  • 3.0.5.9.1K

    Sing or play instruments using a familiar song that you have learned.

  • 3.0.5.10.1K

    Sing, play instruments, or listen to music from various cultures.

  • 3.1.2.2.11

    Generate musical ideas using a limited set of rhythms or pitches.

  • 3.1.2.3.11

    Choose musical ideas to share using a limited set of rhythms or pitches.

  • 3.1.2.4.11

    Change selected musical ideas using teacher feedback.

  • 3.1.3.5.11

    Demonstrate moving, singing, and playing instruments with others, and alone.

  • 3.1.3.6.11

    Follow the teacher to start, stop and stay together throughout an established musical form.

  • 3.1.4.7.11

    Identify steady beat while listening to and interacting with a variety of music.

  • 3.1.4.8.11

    Identify differences between two contrasting musical selections.

  • 3.1.5.9.11

    Identify an emotion experienced when singing, playing instruments or listening to music.

  • 3.1.5.10.11

    Sing, play instruments or listen to music from various cultures, including music from Minnesota American Indian tribes and communities.

  • 3.2.2.2.12

    Generate rhythmic or melodic patterns.

  • 3.2.2.3.12

    Preserve personal rhythmic or melodic patterns using a system of notation or recording technology.**

  • 3.2.2.4.12

    Change selected rhythmic or melodic patterns using feedback from others.

  • 3.2.3.5.12

    Develop vocal and instrumental skills to perform a variety of music.

  • 3.2.3.6.12

    Perform music with and for others, using technical accuracy and expression.

  • 3.2.4.7.12

    Identify repeating patterns and expressive elements while listening to and interacting with a variety of music.**

  • 3.2.4.8.12

    Apply personal preferences in evaluation when listening to music.

  • 3.2.5.9.12

    Identify a part of a musical selection that connects with you personally.

  • 3.2.5.10.12

    Sing and play instruments from different genres of music from various time periods and places.

  • 3.3.2.2.13

    Create or improvise rhythmic or melodic patterns containing long sounds, short sounds and rests.

  • 3.3.2.3.13

    Organize chosen musical patterns into phrases using a system of notation or recording technology.**

  • 3.3.2.4.13

    Arrange musical patterns using feedback from others.

  • 3.3.3.5.13

    Refine vocal and instrumental skills to perform a variety of music.

  • 3.3.3.6.13

    Perform music for a specific purpose, using technical accuracy, expression, and interpretation.

  • 3.3.4.7.13

    Identify and describe elements that make contrasting musical selections different from each other.

  • 3.3.4.8.13

    Explain personal preference of music selections by identifying music elements that generate personal interest.

  • 3.3.5.9.13

    Describe a memory, feeling, or story associated with music that is listened to or performed.

  • 3.3.5.10.13

    Describe cultural uses of music from different time periods and places.

  • 3.4.2.2.14

    Create or improvise melodic phrases using specified tonalities.

  • 3.4.2.3.14

    Organize chosen musical phrases into a short composition using a system of notation or recording technology.**

  • 3.4.2.4.14

    Revise a musical composition as a group using feedback from others.

  • 3.4.3.5.14

    Apply developing vocal and instrumental skills to improve performance.

  • 3.4.3.6.14

    Perform music by accurately responding to musical terms.

  • 3.4.4.7.14

    Identify and describe elements that create contrasting performances of the same musical selection.

  • 3.4.4.8.14

    Apply teacher-provided criteria to evaluate musical selections or performances, citing specific elements and characteristics.

  • 3.4.5.9.14

    Describe emotions experienced when performing or listening to a musical selection and relate it a personal experiences.

  • 3.4.5.10.14

    Compare and contrast cultural uses of music from different time periods and places.

  • 3.5.2.2.15

    Create or improvise rhythmic or melodic phrases using specific tonalities, meters or chord changes.

  • 3.5.2.3.15

    Organize chosen musical phrases into a given form using a system of notation or recording technology.**

  • 3.5.2.4.15

    Revise a musical composition using feedback from others and self-reflection.

  • 3.5.3.5.15

    Demonstrate vocal or instrumental skills appropriate to the performance of music's cultural context.

  • 3.5.3.6.15

    Perform music by responding to notation and active listening.

  • 3.5.4.7.15

    Identify the elements used in a musical selection to convey its possible intent.

  • 3.5.4.8.15

    Apply collaboratively developed and teacher-provided criteria to evaluate musical selections or performances, citing specific elements and characteristics.

  • 3.5.5.9.15

    Compare and contrast emotions experienced when performing or listening to two different musical selections.

  • 3.5.5.10.15

    Describe relationships of musical genres to cultural or historical contexts.

  • 3.6.2.2.16

    Create or improvise musical ideas that can be combined into a melody.

  • 3.6.2.3.16

    Develop a composition consisting of a melody using a system of notation or recording technology.**

  • 3.6.2.4.16

    Revise a musical composition using self-reflection.

  • 3.6.3.5.16

    Collaborate as an ensemble to refine and prepare music for presentation or performance.

  • 3.6.3.6.16

    Perform music for an audience by responding to notation and applying musical elements and technical skills. For example: Audience being a classmate, friend, online platform, or a large group.

  • 3.6.4.7.16

    Describe how musical elements contribute to meaning in a musical selection.

  • 3.6.4.8.16

    Apply collaboratively developed criteria to evaluate musical selections or performances, citing specific elements and characteristics.

  • 3.6.5.9.16

    Share how specific musical selections relate to personal, social and emotional experiences.

  • 3.6.5.10.16

    Explain ways that music is used to represent cultural identity, including Minnesota American Indian tribes and communities.

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