How to Compose... EDM

EDM Composition: A Complete Production Curriculum

Teach Electronic Dance Music Production with Confidence — No Prior Experience Required

Electronic dance music dominates Spotify charts and speaks directly to today's students, yet many music teachers feel unequipped to teach it. EDM Composition bridges this gap with a comprehensive 40-lesson curriculum that transforms any secondary school music department into a modern production studio.

Designed specifically for teachers without an EDM background, this resource provides everything you need to deliver engaging, hands-on lessons where students create professional-quality tracks from day one.

Key Features:

• Complete 40-Lesson Curriculum: Four progressive phases covering Foundation Skills, Advanced Techniques, Integration & Refinement, and Portfolio Development
• No Specialist Knowledge Required: Detailed teacher guides with precise timing, demonstrations, and troubleshooting — teach with confidence even if you've never produced EDM
• Hands-On From Lesson 1: Students work in their DAW immediately, learning by creating actual tracks rather than studying theory in isolation
• Multiple EDM Genres: House, dubstep, trance, drum and bass, and future bass — giving students breadth and creative choice
• Works With Your Equipment: Compatible with Ableton Live, Reaper, or Soundtrap, plus free VST recommendations for budget-conscious departments

Designed for the New Zealand Curriculum

With EDM highlighted as a possible focus in the upcoming curriculum changes, this resource future-proofs your department.

• Years 10–13 Suitable: Content scaffolded for students aged 14–18.
• Portfolio-Based Assessment: Students complete substantial original compositions demonstrating full production mastery which can be used for NCEA or other assessment systems
• Spiral Learning Approach: Skills developed concurrently across beat-making, synthesis, arrangement, and mixing

What's Included?

Each of the 40 lessons includes:

• Teacher Guide: Comprehensive lesson plan with learning objectives, equipment lists, precise timing for 45–50 minute lessons, demonstration scripts, circulation strategies, and differentiation for all ability levels
• Student Handout: Practical 4–5 page resource with step-by-step checklists, reference materials, and genre-specific guidance
• Flipped Videos: every lesson is supported by a video where I demonstrate key concepts in Ableton Live Intro (free for schools).

For Teachers

• Professional Reference Tracks: Curated YouTube examples with specific timestamps showing techniques in context (Skrillex, Daft Punk, Avicii, Martin Garrix, and more)
• Common Mistakes & Troubleshooting: Anticipate student difficulties with detailed guidance for every lesson
• Extension Activities: Challenge advanced students while supporting those who need more time

Download includes:

• 40 Teacher Guides
• 40 Student Handouts
• Links to 40 videos created to support the learning in each lesson
• Curriculum Overview & Scope and Sequence

PLEASE NOTE - the initial release of this resource only includes the first 20 lessons. We will have all 40 ready to go by February and you will be emailed these updates as soon as they are ready.