Classical Remix Project

A three-day project where each student takes a public-domain classical MIDI file (sourced from the Mutopia Project), fuses it with a modern musical style they like, and produces a 90–120 second GarageBand remix. Lands on individual creative choice: every student picks their own source piece and their own target style.

Project Schedule

Project Requirements

Each student’s finished remix must:

• Be a deliberate musical fusion between the chosen classical piece and a named modern style. Students should be able to say it in one sentence, like:
  • “I am fusing the music of Bach and the music of Coldplay.”
  • “I am fusing classical music and hip hop.”
  • “I am fusing the music of Imagine Dragons with the music of Tchaikovsky.”
• Use a minimum of 4 MIDI tracks with software instruments.
• Use a minimum of 1 Apple Loop (green audio region) on any track.
• Be between 90 and 120 seconds long.
• Have a logical beginning, middle, and end.
• Use automation to control volume in a meaningful way on at least 2 tracks.
• Be compelling and coherent:
  • Compelling — the listener will want or need to listen because it’s interesting, fun, or cool.
  • Coherent — the creation makes musical sense.
• Correctly balance the volume of all tracks and the master track.

Source Material

Mutopia has thousands of public-domain classical pieces with downloadable MIDI files. A starter shortlist that works particularly well for remixing:

1. Für Elise — Beethoven. Iconic repeating motif, perfect for chopping into loops. Try lo-fi hip-hop, EDM, or cinematic.
2. Moonlight Sonata (movement 1) — Beethoven. Arpeggiated and hypnotic; loops beautifully. Add atmospheric pads or beats underneath.
3. In the Hall of the Mountain King — Grieg. Slowly accelerates to a frenzy — a natural template for a build-drop. Great for dubstep or metal.
4. Gymnopédie No. 1 — Satie. Already feels ambient/lo-fi. Add chill beats, jazz chords, or reinvent as a pop ballad.
5. Maple Leaf Rag — Joplin. Syncopated ragtime — a natural bridge to hip-hop, jazz-funk, or modern bounce.
6. The Entertainer — Joplin. Instantly recognizable, upbeat. Section-based structure makes parts easy to isolate.
7. Anitra’s Dance — Grieg. Sneaky, mysterious, strong rhythmic pulse. Turns cinematic or trap-influenced.
8. Prelude Op. 28, No. 4 in E minor — Chopin. Dark, slow, emotionally intense. Easy to rebuild as ambient, cinematic, or post-rock.
9. Invention No. 4 in D minor — Bach. Two-voice structure — mute one voice and replace it with a drum line, synth bass, or new instrument.
10. Ode to Joy — Beethoven. Most recognized melody in classical music. SATB format gives four separate MIDI voices to work with independently.

Students are not limited to these pieces — anything on Mutopia is fair game.

What Students May Do

• Cut, copy, and paste MIDI notes and regions onto new tracks with different instruments.
• Add, delete, or change notes and rhythms.
• Use any Apple Loop that fits the target style.
• Extend the piece — add intro, outro, drum break, etc.
• Record themselves playing a MIDI controller on an existing or new track.
• Use an Automatic Drummer Track or build their own drum beat.
• Use automation to control effects.

Common Pitfalls

• Too much going on at once — too many loops, too many drums, too many instruments stacked.
• Tracks that don’t line up — regions should start and stop on measure lines (or deliberately not, for swing/groove).
• Loops that fight the target style — a country loop on a hip-hop remix is going to feel wrong.
• Wrong tempo for the target style — pick the BPM up front based on the fusion style (hip hop, rock, pop, EDM, dance).

Teacher Notes

• Day 1 should be no-stakes exploration. Tell students explicitly: “Today doesn’t count — tomorrow we start the real project.” This frees them to experiment.
• The 90–120 second window is intentional: short enough that students can’t pad with one repeating loop, long enough to force a real arrangement (beginning/middle/end).
• A listening-party closer (Day 3) is high-energy if you require each student to say in one sentence what they fused. Builds vocabulary and music-criticism muscles.