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The topic of this course is broad, such that various styles of American popular music may be covered, including but not limited to: Blues, Jazz, Rock, Pop, Rock and Roll, Hip Hop, Electronic Popular Music, Country, and Folk.

Studies of these styles should include:

• History, evolution, and influences
• Musical elements and terminologies such as: Melody, Rhythm, Texture, Timbre, Harmony, Expression, Form, Text
• Relation to historical and cultural contexts
• Technological influences
• Critical listening

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At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

• Understand the evolution and features of American popular music styles
• Understand the interrelationship between music, culture, the music business and technology
• Aurally distinguish styles of American popular music

Students will be evaluated for progress in and/or mastery of student learning outcomes using methods of evaluation which may include, but are not limited to, the following activities:

• Oral or written reports/presentations designed to evaluate the individual student's cognition of specific course topics.
• Quizzes/examinations designed to evaluate student progress and knowledge in course topics.
• Class and/or individual projects designed to evaluate student understanding of basic music knowledge and the history of the music of America.
• Assess student understanding through participation and discussions of specific course topics.

• David Brackett, The Pop, Rock, and Soul Reader: Histories and Debates
• Larry Starr & Christopher Waterman, American Popular Music: From Minstrelsy to mp3
• Elizabeth Barkley, Crossroads: The Multicultural Roots of America's Popular Music
• Richard Crawford and Larry Hamberlin, An Introduction to America’s Music
• John Covach and Andrew Flory, What’s That Sound: An Introduction to Rock and Its History
• Rachel Rubin and Jeffrey Melnick (ed), American Popular Music New Approaches to the Twentieth Century
• Philip G. Simon, A History of American Popular Music
• Michael Campbell, Popular Music in America: The Beat Goes On
• Extensive use of related videos, audio recordings, and/or live performances