Why You Should Try

Passion Projects

(and How to Get Started!)

Have you ever done passion projects in your music or dance classroom? If not, it might be time to start! Passion projects are a powerful form of student-centered, inquiry-based learning that allow students to explore topics they’re truly excited about—within the context of the arts.

Whether you’re a music teacher or dance educator, incorporating passion projects into your classroom can transform your students’ learning experience. And the best part? You don’t have to start from scratch. Alessandra’s Passion Project resources for music and dance are fully developed and ready to use, giving your students the freedom to explore while giving you the tools to support them every step of the way.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Alessandra | Music Teacher 🎶 (@teachfromthestage)

🎵 What Are Passion Projects in the Arts?

Passion projects are student-led assignments where learners choose their own topic or area of interest to explore in depth. In the music or dance classroom, that could mean researching a favorite genre, creating original choreography, learning a new instrument, or producing a podcast on a music-related issue.

This style of project-based learning blends creativity, inquiry, and independence—resulting in rich, meaningful learning experiences that are often far more engaging than traditional assignments.

🌟 Benefits of Passion Projects in Music and Dance

Implementing passion projects in your classroom offers so many benefits:

✨ Increases Student Engagement: Students are more motivated when they get to work on something they care about.
🎨 Promotes Creativity: Arts-based passion projects encourage imaginative thinking and self-expression.
❓ Encourages Inquiry: Students ask questions, conduct research, and explore answers on their own.
💪 Fosters Perseverance: As students dig into topics that challenge them, they learn resilience and follow-through.
🧠 Builds Problem Solving Skills: Passion projects often require planning, decision-making, and creative problem-solving.
💡 Promotes Innovation: With student voice at the center, students explore ideas in new and original ways.
🎶 Ties to Real Interests: Students explore their own connections to music or dance, making the learning deeply personal.
🗣️ Student Voice & Choice: These projects are student-driven, allowing for autonomy and ownership of learning.

🎒 Get Started with Done-for-You Passion Projects

You don’t have to create your passion project framework from scratch—the work is already done for you!

Music Passion Project

Perfect for middle school music students, this project helps them explore a music-related topic of their choice—from composers, genres, and instruments to social issues in music. This resource includes:

Student-friendly planning pages
Research prompts and checkpoints
Project templates for written, visual, or performance-based outcomes
A built-in rubric for easy assessment
Flexibility to adapt for virtual, in-person, or hybrid learning

Dance Passion Project

Designed specifically for dance educators, this resource gives students the opportunity to explore styles of dance, choreographers, dance history, or even choreograph their own pieces. It includes:

Student brainstorming sheets
Research and choreography planning templates
Reflection and self-assessment tools
Rubrics for evaluating both process and performance
A flexible format to fit any dance unit

These projects align perfectly with curriculum standards and promote deep, independent learning—without the stress of having to build everything yourself.

🧠 How to Integrate Passion Projects into Your Classroom

Implementing passion projects in your classroom offers so many benefits:

Introduce the Concept: Spend time discussing what a passion project is and showing examples. Let students brainstorm ideas related to their interests in music or dance.
Guide the Research: Use the planning pages included in Alessandra’s resources to help students organize their thoughts, define questions, and plan their projects.
Monitor Progress: Check in with students using the built-in templates to help them stay on track and reflect on their learning.
Celebrate the Final Product: Whether it’s a performance, presentation, or creative piece, host a “Passion Project Showcase” to let students shine.

Alessandra

My name is Alessandra and I am a Kindergarten-Grade 8 Teacher of the Arts, specializing in music and dance education. Based in Toronto, Canada, I teach 800+ students a week and am a huge advocate for the arts. I graduated with a Bachelors of Music Therapy & Masters of Education, and I am passionate about fostering a quality music education program for every learner.