October is the perfect time to bring a little mystery and magic into the music classroom. 🎃 Whether you teach vocal, instrumental, or general music, spooky music is a wonderful way to capture students’ attention while reinforcing the elements of music — especially timbre, dynamics, tempo, and texture.
In this post, you’ll find a few of my favorite spine-tingling listening selections, creative journal prompts, and easy extension ideas that tie perfectly into your music curriculum — or my Music Listening Journal resource if you already use it in your classroom!
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🎻 Spooky Listening Selections
Here are a few tried-and-true pieces that instantly draw students in. They’re full of musical contrast and perfect for teaching descriptive listening skills.
- Danse Macabre – Camille Saint-Saëns
The xylophone bones, haunting violin solo, and dramatic orchestration make this a Halloween staple. Have students listen for how Saint-Saëns uses instrumentation and dynamics to tell a story about dancing skeletons.
Journal focus:
How does Saint-Saëns create a sense of movement and mischief? Which instruments stand out to you most?
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- In the Hall of the Mountain King – Edvard Grieg
The slow, sneaky opening grows faster and louder, building suspense with each repetition. It’s an excellent example of how tempo and crescendo can transform a musical idea.
Journal focus:
How does the change in speed and volume affect your emotions as a listener?
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- Night on Bald Mountain – Modest Mussorgsky
Dark harmonies and swirling orchestration paint a vivid picture of witches dancing on a mountaintop. Students love imagining the scene as the music unfolds.
Journal focus:
What story or image comes to mind as you listen? Which instruments make the music feel eerie or intense?
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- Toccata and Fugue in D Minor – J.S. Bach
This Baroque organ piece has become the sound of Halloween. The opening motif is unforgettable — perfect for discussing texture, minor tonality, and melodic shape.
Journal focus:
Why do you think this piece has become so connected with “spooky” movies and Halloween imagery?
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- The Sorcerer’s Apprentice – Paul Dukas
Known from Disney’s Fantasia, this programmatic work tells a story through rhythm and repetition. It’s an engaging way to connect classical form with narrative imagination.
Journal focus:
How does the composer use rhythm to show the apprentice losing control? What section of the music feels most chaotic to you?
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🧠 Creative Journal Prompts
If you use listening journals regularly, try adding a seasonal twist!
Here are a few prompts that can work with any spooky piece:
- 🎧 Describe the mood of this piece using three adjectives.
- ✍️ Which musical elements (dynamics, tempo, rhythm, tone color) make it feel eerie or mysterious?
- 🎨 Draw or describe what you imagine as you listen.
- 🔮 If this music were part of a movie, what would be happening on screen?
- 🎵 Identify a moment of contrast (fast/slow, high/low, loud/soft). How does it change the energy of the piece?
Encourage students to use musical vocabulary in their reflections while keeping it creative — imagination and analysis can go hand in hand!
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✏️ Extension & Classroom Ideas
Here are a few quick ways to turn this activity into a longer lesson or hallway display:
🎬 Create a “Halloween Soundtrack” Wall
Have students write short journal blurbs and decorate them with artwork inspired by their chosen piece. Post them together as a visual listening gallery.
🎹 Compare Classical & Modern Sounds
Pair a spooky classical piece with a modern movie score (The Nightmare Before Christmas, Psycho, or Harry Potter). Discuss how composers across time use similar elements to build suspense.
💻 Use Your Listening Journal Resource
If you already use my Music Listening Journal from Teachers Pay Teachers, this is the perfect time to add a themed section for October! Students can fill out the same familiar format but with Halloween repertoire.
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🕯️ Final Thoughts
Spooky music invites curiosity, emotion, and imagination — all while reinforcing the same listening skills we use year-round. When students realize that listening with detail helps them understand how music tells a story, they start to connect emotionally to every genre.
Whether you’re preparing for a concert, working through a theory unit, or just adding a little seasonal fun to your week, try one or two of these spooky listening ideas. You might be surprised at how much your students have to say once they start really listening.
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✨ Pin it for later!
Save this post for your October lesson planning, and don’t forget to check out my Music Listening Journal resource for ready-to-print worksheets you can use all year.
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