Music and Bugling Merit Badge Pamphlet Music Merit Badge

Music


Requirements were REVISED effective during 2011.

New text is in bold GREEN underlined Serif text like this sentence.
Deleted portions are struck through RED italic text like this sentence.

To see the requirements, without the changes highlighted, Click here.

For the previous requirements, Click here.

To see the changes which had been made in 2010, Click here.


A revised merit badge pamphlet which merged Bugling into Music, and with revised requirements, was released in early 2010.
The revised requirements weren’t to become official until the 2011 Boy Scout Requirements book was released in January 2011.
However, in August 2010, BSA reversed their decision to discontinue Bugling as a separate Merit Badge.
A replacement pamphlet, retaining both badges was released to replace it.

The 2011 Boy Scout Requirements book included the previous requirements, with none of the changes shown below, and none of the changes which were in the Music pamphlet released in 2010.

When the replacement pamphlet, shown above, was released in 2011, it contained some, but not all, of the changes which had been proposed in 2010. 
The changes shown below are those which were made to the earlier (2004) requirements.


  1. Sing or play a simple song or hymn chosen by your counselor using good technique, phrasing, tone, rhythm, and dynamics.. Read all the signs and terms of the score.
  2. Name the five general groups of musical instruments. Create an illustration that shows how tones are generated and how instruments produce sound.
  3. Do TWO of the following:
    1. Attend a live performance, or listen to three hours of recordings from any two of the following musical styles: blues, jazz, classical, country, bluegrass, ethnic, gospel, musical theater, opera. Describe the sound of the music and the instruments used. Identify the composers or songwriters, the performers, and the titles of the pieces you heard. If it was a live performance, describe the setting and the reaction of the audience. Discuss your thoughts about the music.
    2. Interview your parents and grandparents an adult member of your family about music. Find out what the most popular music was when they he or she was your age. Find out what their his or her favorite music is now, and listen to three favorite tunes with them him or her. How do their those favorites sound to you? Had you ever heard any of them? Play three of your favorite songs for them your relative, and explain why you like these songs. Ask them what they think he or she thinks of your favorite music.
    3. Serve for six months as a member of a school band, choir, or other local musical group; or perform as a soloist in public six times.
    4. List five people who are important in the history of American music and explain to your counselor why they continue to be influential. Include at least one composer, one performer, one innovator, and one person born more than 100 years ago.
  4. Do ONE of the following:
    1. Teach three songs to a group of people. Lead them in singing the songs, using proper hand motions.
    2. Compose and write the score for a piece of music of 12 measures or more, and play this music on an instrument.
    3. Make a traditional instrument and learn to play it.
    4. Catalog your own or your family's collection of 12 or more compact discs, tapes, or records, or other recorded music. Show how to handle and store them.

BSA Advancement ID#: 77
Requirements last updated in: 2011
Pamphlet Publication Number: 35921
Pamphlet Stock (SKU) Number: 35921
Pamphlet Revision Date: 2010

Worksheets for use in working on these requirements: Format
Word Format PDF Format

Blanks in this worksheets table appear when we do not have a worksheet for the badge that includes these requirements.


Page updated on: November 18, 2021



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