Need to Assess Your Students? MusicFirst Has You Covered
One of the biggest challenges for music educators today is assessment. How can we meaningfully measure student progress in a performance-based class? How do we give every student individual feedback—without spending hours grading each assignment? How do we ensure that our assessments align with state and national standards while still being musical and engaging? My doctoral dissertation while I was a student at Teachers College, Columbia University was titled An Evaluation of a Web-Based Model of Assessment for the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards in Music - whew that’s a lot of words. I basically created a website back in 2000 that tried to assess every aspect of a students musical learning - from performance, to fundamental skills and knowledge, and creativity. When I designed the MusicFirst Classroom, I included assessment as one of the main components of the platform. The result is a comprehensive, flexible, and easy-to-use suite of assessment tools designed specifically for music teachers. Whether you teach band, choir, orchestra, general music, AP Music Theory, or anything in between, the MusicFirst Classroom gives you everything you need to assess your students quickly, accurately, and musically.
Let’s start with the MusicFirst Classroom Content Library—a treasure trove of pre-made assessments, assignments, and activities created by expert music educators and trusted partners. Inside, you’ll find thousands of quizzes, tests, listening examples, worksheets, and performance tasks that you can assign instantly or customize for your own curriculum.
Need a theory quiz for your 7th graders on key signatures? It’s already there. Looking for a listening identification test aligned to the AP Music Theory exam? We’ve got it. Want to assess rhythmic dictation or melodic memory? Done and done.
Each resource is tagged by topic, grade level, and software compatibility—so you can easily search, filter, and deploy materials that meet your students exactly where they are. Many of these assessments were designed by master teachers who understand both the musical and logistical realities of the classroom. In other words, they’re practical, musical, and ready for you to use right now.
One of the most popular aspects of the MusicFirst Classroom is its integration with world-class software titles that assess every dimension of musicianship—from aural skills to performance proficiency.
Auralia and Musition
When it comes to music theory and ear training, Auralia and Musition set the gold standard. These powerful programs, developed by our partners at Rising Software, provide automatically graded exercises covering everything from rhythm and pitch to harmony, analysis, and form. Students receive instant feedback, while teachers get detailed reports showing each student’s progress over time.
Whether you’re teaching beginners to distinguish between major and minor intervals or advanced students to identify jazz chords by ear, Auralia and Musition offer hundreds of interactive exercises and customizable assessments that adapt to your curriculum.
PracticeFirst powered by MatchMySound
For performance-based assessment, PracticeFirst is a game changer. Using cutting-edge audio analysis technology, PracticeFirst listens to students as they perform on their instruments or sing, then provides instant feedback on tone, pitch, rhythm, and intonation.
Teachers can create custom assignments, set tempo and pitch targets, and even record model performances. Students can practice independently and immediately see what needs improvement—turning assessment into a natural part of their practice routine.
Best of all, PracticeFirst supports virtually every instrument and voice type, making it ideal for band, choir, and orchestra programs alike.
Sight Reading Factory
If you’re looking to evaluate sight reading skills, Sight Reading Factory is simply the best tool out there - hands down. With endless automatically generated examples at varying difficulty levels, teachers can assign sight reading exercises for individuals or ensembles and receive instant recordings and scores from students. It’s the perfect tool for preparing students for auditions, contests, and adjudications, while giving them a low-stakes environment to improve their literacy and confidence.
Focus on Sound
Finally, Focus on Sound brings the listening and knowledge components of assessment to life. This interactive encyclopedia of music features high-quality audio and video examples, quizzes, and customizable lessons covering everything from orchestral instruments to popular genres and world music traditions. Teachers can assign lessons or quizzes directly within the MusicFirst Classroom and monitor student progress automatically.
Together, these integrated tools create a powerful ecosystem where assessment, instruction, and feedback work seamlessly together. No more juggling multiple logins, gradebooks, or paper rubrics—MusicFirst Classroom keeps everything organized in one intuitive platform.
Whether you want to use our thousands of pre-made resources or build your own, MusicFirst gives you the flexibility to assess what matters most in your program. And with instant feedback, auto-grading, and robust analytics, you can spend less time on paperwork and more time making music.
So, if you’re looking for a better way to track student growth, personalize instruction, and make assessment musical again, look no further. MusicFirst has you covered. If you’d like to try out all of these tools, just sign up for a FREE 30-day trial.