We help teachers create flexible, student-driven music ensembles.

Easy. Intuitive. Dynamic. Fun. Creative.

Energize Your Jazzy/Pep/Horn/Groove Ensemble

PlayTheGroove starts from a simple idea: today’s students learn differently, and music education must evolve with them. We focus on flexible, student-centered ensemble learning that supports diverse musical interests, builds real creative skills, and works within real classroom conditions. — especially where instrumentation varies, skill levels differ, and students possess diverse musical interests.

With all students participating and contributing, agency grows, engagement deepens, and the entire ensemble becomes stronger.

Our Unison Melody & Groove Approach starts with shared melody and rhythm so every student participates immediately, while still allowing differentiation, choice, and creative growth.

We energize your ensemble by:

• Providing inclusive, adaptable music and resources for all instruments and skill levels.

• Reducing prep time with ready-to-use materials and clear teaching structures.

• Infusing creativity and cultural competence into lessons.

• Promoting critical thinking, collaboration, and active music-making.

Rated 5 out of 5

“This is awesome! I will continue to offer this to the kids this fall. I think they really enjoyed the experience and the chance to lead more than me.”

“The songs are challenging them enough to be interesting but let them sound good rather quickly.”

“The PTG library offers a range of styles of music that are inspiring, energizing, and challenging to play, which gives all kids the opportunity to improvise and take risks”

“Having quality recordings and exciting music to choose from helped get everyone excited about playing a song they liked.”

“In the first rehearsal, one student said, "I love this!" I asked him later if he meant the process or the song and he said both.”

“They really liked the more contemporary, jazz style of the pieces. It was a nice change from the more traditional arrangements (even the Latin and world pieces) found from most music publishing sites.”

“I like giving choices in choosing songs, but often the whole world of music is too broad. Having a predetermined sampling to choose from helped everyone to focus on what to look for in choosing a song for us to do.”

“Students are more invested in working on a song if they are interested in it and have a chance to form their own opinions. ”

“They listened more carefully and made thoughtful reflections about who should be on the melody, how to trade the melody, and what additional percussion parts to add.”

“They liked trying all the aux percussion parts on Argentia. I had a pro drummer come in and demonstrate all the aux parts and the students each played claves, congas, triangle, and shaker.”

“They experimented, found things that worked and what didn't work. They were free to express that and change as they desired. Basically, they took ownership of it.”

One thing I really liked about this whole exercise was being able to narrow down my favorite song through quick and easy questions.

I enjoyed listening to short excerpts from each piece and seeing how they differed in instrumentation, rhythm/groove.

I enjoyed being a part of the process of choosing what song we play. I feel like now we will definitely play a song that people like

It was nice to be more like a student-run group.

I liked the process of narrowing down the songs. I feel like it helped me make an informed decision of what I should be looking for in a favorite.

Our Core Beliefs

Why PlayTheGroove

PlayTheGroove (PTG) is a fully developed music-learning system designed to help secondary, ‘jazzy’ music ensembles function more effectively under real classroom conditions. It provides adaptable musical content, structured teaching tools, and practical implementation strategies that support mixed instrumentation, varied skill levels, and student-centered music-making while aligning with national standards and contemporary pedagogy.

In practice, PTG organizes musical content in ways that allow all students to participate in full songs through shared melodic material played in unison or octaves, rhythmic structures, adaptable arrangements, and multiple entry points.

PTG is based on and designed for the Unison-Based Content (UBC) model and structure for real classrooms, including those with incomplete instrumentation, mixed skill and literacy levels, shifting enrollment, and limited rehearsal time.

Everyone Plays the Melody

PlayTheGroove is a new playground for discovery, growth, and musical exploration and creativity for remote, hybrid, or in-class situations.

Students Enjoy Practice

Everyone can play all the time with parts at varying skill levels, be challenged on an individual basis, and try new instruments as we include the master recording and sheet music to learn from and play-along with.

Invested/Engaged Learners Keep Coming Back

To start, every instrument plays beginning to end: more captivating and engaging than counting 37 bars of rests.

Youth are engaged in performance ensembles through forward-thinking methods and activities that are relevant and accessible to them.

Music Has Cultural Substance

Musicians self-select songs from a library of unison-based tunes created by cutting-edge global artists.

Music is a gateway to learning, growth, and connection. There’s so much to discover! We’re here to guide you in fostering fun and joy with learning and performing.

PlayTheGroove International Virtual Video

In March 2020, the pandemic robbed millions of young musicians and their teachers of the chance to play together in school.