VIDEO TOPIC SERIES

COOKING UP COUNTRY MUSIC HITS WITH STEAM

Take students behind the scenes of Country Music production to learn what goes into the making of a hit song. Students will go on a virtual tour of making a song and learn how STEAM is an essential ingredient every step of the way.

Anatomy of a Hit Song Video Topic Series

The Musician

Discover the Anatomy of a Hit Song from the perspective of the musicians using various instruments to blend unique sounds and create the tunes we love! Hubert Payne, drummer for Little Big Town, shares how he’s inspired to honor curiosity, listen with heart, and find authenticity in his own music to shape hit songs and support fellow artists bringing songs to life.

THE MUSICIAN COMPANION ACTIVITY.PDF, 351KB

Classroom Conversation Starters

  • Why do you think 4/4 or “common” time is such a popular time signature?

  • Think of a favorite song that uses 4/4 time. Now think of one that uses an irregular time signature. How does the time signature alone change the “feeling” of music?

  • Where else have you encountered rhythms or beats besides music or your heartbeat?

About this Series

This three-part video series shines a light on the multiple STEAM professions collaborating in harmony to make Country Music one of the most popular genres in the world. Standards-aligned classroom activities, discussions, and career connections bring lessons to life as students engage with what they’ve just seen.

Educator Guide

Anatomy of a Hit Song | Educator Guide

Grades 3–8
Designed with flexibility in mind, as well as different levels of access to devices, the lessons in this bundle can be used in any order or independent of each other. Accompanying activities and discussion prompts bring the action from the screen to the classroom to engage students in active learning. Collaborate with your school’s music teacher to further utilize and emphasize the creative Arts portion of STEAM education and turn theory into practice.
DownloadPDF, 288 KB

“The thing that I enjoy the most about playing music is self-expression. A lot of times I don't have the words to express how I feel or the space or the right people to hear me out, but my drums are always there.”

—Hubert Payne, Touring and Recording Drummer for Little Big Town