Why Subscribe - What We Offer
Support for the IBDP Music Course
Developed by experienced IB Music educators and subject specialists, this resource offers comprehensive, curriculum-aligned support for both teachers and students. It combines complete syllabus coverage, authentic graded samples, and practical teaching materials grounded in real classroom practice. The following key features outline its principal benefits.
“Scaffolding” Photo by Anton Tseiko on Unsplash
This resource has been written by two practising IB Music educators - Jim Yarnell and Dr. Anton D. Luiten - rather than generated by AI. Between them they bring more than seventy years of experience in international schools, and both have worked with the IB as teachers, workshop leaders, examiners, and consultants.
Dr. Luiten has contributed to the development of the current DP Music course and trains IB workshop leaders across the Asia Pacific region.
Jim Yarnell has taught DP Music for over twenty-five years and served as Arts Director at The American School of The Hague.
The material on this site, therefore, comes from practitioners who have taught the course, marked the assessments, and supported teachers around the world in delivering it.
You can read more about the site authors HERE.
The site covers the full DP Music course in depth: all four components, the three musical roles of Researcher, Creator, and Performer (click HERE for more), the three contexts of Personal, Local, and Global (see HERE), and the four Areas of Inquiry (see HERE).
Each element is explained clearly, with assessment criteria broken down, submission requirements set out, and practical strategies for helping students reach their potential. The resource is written with the full spectrum of learners in mind - from students preparing for a career in music to those encountering the subject for the first time, and for many of whom this may be their only formal experience of music-making.
“Network of Ideas” Photo by Clint Adair on Unsplash
Alongside the guidance sits a substantial library of authentic student work (see under Assessment “Student Samples”), spanning Grades 3 to 7, with examiner commentary and grade breakdowns drawn from multiple assessment sessions.
Seeing what different levels of achievement actually look like is one of the most useful things a teacher can encounter - it clarifies standards, informs feedback, and gives students a realistic sense of what they are working towards. Rather than abstract advice, the samples make the expectations of the course concrete.
For planning, the resource offers two-year course outlines (see HERE for samples), customisable unit planners, and classroom-tested lesson ideas, along with sample planners shared by members of the DP Music community.
There is dedicated support for teachers new to the course, and practical ways to weave ATL, TOK, and the Learner Profile into everyday teaching. The planning guidance is deliberately flexible, recognising that no two cohorts are alike and that a plan which worked one year may need adjusting the next.
Teachers can also set up student access accounts (see HERE for details), assign tasks, share materials, and monitor progress from one place. A built-in eBook, ideas for the Music Journal (see HERE for more), and interactive listening and research tasks give students a consistent space to work, reflect, and document their development across the two years.
“Diary Entries” Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash
The Music Journal in particular is treated as central to the course, encouraging students to log research, audio, reflections, and feedback from the very beginning.
The resource keeps pace with how music is made today, with guides on integrating DAWs and tools such as Moises, Suno, Klangio, and Hookpad into composition and experimentation (in particular, see the section on Embracing AI). The site is updated regularly to reflect the latest IB reports, grade boundaries, and curriculum developments, and the authors actively revise material as the needs of students and teachers evolve. We believe, that teaching music, as the site itself notes, is not a destination but a continuing process.
“Modern Technology” Photo by Keido wvtvnvbe on Unsplash
Membership includes access to virtual Think-Ins, podcasts, and direct Q&A with the site authors, and teachers are welcome to leave questions in the comments (at the bottom of each page there is an opportunity for you to do this). We will respond to you personally within 24 hours.
We hope you will take a look around, explore the pages at your own pace, and make the resource your own.