Politics is about conflict.Are your students cynical about conflict in American politics? Do they believe politicians generally fight for the sake of... fighting, or to gain short-term advantage? Do they believe policy makers should simply set aside their differences and “listen to what the people want”? Bianco and Canon show students that conflict—and the compromise that is necessary to resolve it—is a normal, healthy part of the process that makes American democracy work.

This text provides an overview of the four major areas of American contemporary music: jazz, rock, country, and musical theater. Each genre is... approached chronologically with the emphasis on the socio-cultural aspects of the music. Readers will appreciate Joyner's engaging writing style and come away with the fundamental skills needed to listen critically to a variety of popular music styles.

Enhance your understanding of the culture behind American popular music with AMERICAN POPULAR MUSIC: A MULTICULTURAL HISTORY! With detailed,... easy-to-understand explanations of key musical concepts and terms, this music text tells the story of American popular music from the different cultural perspectives that made significant contributions to its development. A critical listening approach throughout helps you develop your music listening skills as a form of critical reflection. Historical timelines at the beginning of each chapter provide you with a practical chronological framework that helps you interpret and integrate musical, cultural and historic events.

The most complete, colorful, and authoritative package of its kind, American Popular Music: From Minstrelsy to MP3, Third Edition, examines popular... music in the United States from its beginnings into the 21st century. Highlighting the contributions of diverse groups, Larry Starr and Christopher Waterman trace the development of jazz, blues, country, rock, hip-hop, and other popular styles. They combine an in-depth treatment of the music itself--including discussions of stylistic elements and analyses of musical examples--with solid coverage of attendant historical, social, and cultural circumstances. NEW TO THE THIRD EDITION* Significantly expanded coverage of the Latin American stream of influence throughout, including Latin music in the big-band era, the mambo craze of the 1950s, bossa nova, and salsa* Thoroughly updated discussions of online distribution models, technology, and new trends in popular music* Exact timings included in the in-text listening guides to help students orient themselves as they use the two in-text audio CDs* New appendix--"Understanding Rhythm and Form"--illustrating the basic musical concepts of beat, tempo, rhythm, and form* A FREE six-month subscription to the Encyclopedia of Popular Music, Fourth Edition Online ($120.00 value!)Remarkably accessible and student-friendly, the third edition also offers:* Detailed in-text listening charts that explain the most important elements of recordings discussed at length in the text* Boxed inserts on significant individuals, recordings, and cultural issues, with an illustrated timeline at the back of the book* An iMix (published at iTunes)* An updated Companion Website (www.oup.com/us/popmusic) containing resources for both instructors (PowerPoint lecture slides, assignments and exercises, filmographies, and review/discussion questions) and students (chapter outlines, brief biographies, flashcards, and weblinks)* A free Instructor's Manual and Computerized Test Bank on CD

In American Popular Music: From Minstrelsy to MP3, Second Edition, Larry Starr and Christopher Waterman examine popular music in the United States from... its beginnings into the 21st century, offering a comprehensive look at the music, the cultural history of the times, and the connections between them. Using well-chosen examples, insightful commentaries, and an engaging writing style, this text traces the development of jazz, blues, country, rock, Motown, hip-hop, and other popular styles, highlighting the contributions of diverse groups to the creation of distinctly American styles. It combines an in-depth treatment of the music itself--including discussions of stylistic elements and analyses of musical examples--with solid coverage of the music's attendant historical, social, and cultural circumstances. The authors incorporate strong pedagogy including numerous boxed inserts on significant individuals, recordings, and intriguing topics; coverage of early American popular music; and a rich illustration program. Detailed listening charts explain the most important elements of recordings discussed at length in the text. The charts are complemented by two in-text audio CDs and--new to this edition--an iMix published at iTunes, which makes most of the songs immediately available to students and instructors. Features of the Second Edition * Integrates full color throughout * Provides more coverage of women artists, with new material on women in rock 'n' roll in Chapter 8 and a box on Queen Latifah in Chapter 14 * Reorganizes the discussion of post-1970s music: disco is now included with mainstream 70s pop, while hip-hop is treated in two chapters (12 and 14) in order to emphasize its significance and diversity * Adds new material on the recent alternative country music explosion * Includes new developments in music technology in the thoroughly revised concluding chapter * Offers revised and more vivid visual elements, including more than 100 new photos (most in full color) and an illustrated timeline * Provides redesigned listening guides, enhanced by an iMix published at iTunes (accessible at www.oup.com/us/popmusic) * Supplemented by a Companion Website at www.oup.com/us/popmusic (containing both student and instructor resources) and an Instructor's Manual and a Computerized Test Bank on CD * FREE with the purchase of this book: a 6-month subscription to Grove Music Online (www.grovemusic.com)--a $180 value Remarkably accessible, American Popular Music, Second Edition, is ideal for courses in American Popular Music, the History of Popular Music, Popular Music in American Culture, and the History of Rock 'n' Roll. Its welcoming style and warm tone will captivate readers, encouraging them to become more critically aware listeners of popular music.

Designed as a broad introductory survey, and written by experts in the field, this book examines the rise of American music over the past hundred... years-the period in which that music came into its own and achieved unprecedented popularity. Beginning with a look at music as a business, eleven essays explore a variety of popular musical genres, including Tin Pan Alley, blues, jazz, country, gospel, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, folk, rap, and Mexican American corridos. Reading these essays, we come to see that the forms created by one group often appeal to, and are in turn influenced by, other groups-across lines of race, ethnicity, class, gender, region, and age. The chapters speak to one another, arguing for the primacy of such concepts as minstrelsy, urbanization, hybridity, and crossover as the most powerful tools for understanding American popular music. Moving beyond outdated music-industry categories and misleading genre labels, while acknowledging the complexities of the market, the book recovers and reinforces the essential blackness of much popular music-even a presumably white form like country and western. In addition to Rachel Rubin and Jeffrey Melnick, contributors include Reebee Garofalo, Geoffrey Jacques, Kip Lornell, Mark Anthony Neal, Millie Rahn, David Sanjek, James Smethurst, Elijah Wald, and Gail Hilson Woldu.

Rock, country, pop, soul, funk, punk, folk, hip-hop, techno, grunge--it's all here. In American Popular Music: The Rock Years, Larry Starr and... Christopher Waterman take readers on a fascinating journey through the rich historical and stylistic landscape of American rock. An abridged version of the authors' acclaimed American Popular Music: From Minstrelsy to MTV, this volume includes chapters 8-14 of the longer book along with new introductory and concluding chapters. American Popular Music: The Rock Years traces the development of rock from its roots in the mid-1940s to its current state in the twenty-first century, integrating in-depth discussions of the music itself with solid coverage of the attendant historical, social, and cultural circumstances. It strikes a balance between musical analysis and social context, showing how rock and American culture have continuously influenced each other over time. Using well-chosen examples, insightful commentaries, and an engaging writing style, the authors highlight the contributions of diverse groups to the development of rock music, explain the effects of advancements in recording technology, and chronicle the growth of rock music as an industry. The book is enhanced by a rich illustration program; boxed inserts on significant individuals, recordings, and intriguing topics; and well-organized listening charts for recordings that are discussed in detail in the text. Remarkably accessible, American Popular Music: The Rock Years is ideal for introductory courses in the history of rock and roll and will encourage readers to become more critically aware listeners of rock music.

From the first crises in America's farming regions in the 1870s through the fracture and demise of grass-roots protest organizations at the end of the... century. American Populism chronicles the Populists' battles with the dominant institutions of an industrializing nation. In this readable and balanced account, Robert McMath examines Populism's relation to the social and economic networks of rural communities and to churches, schools, fraternal organizations, and trade unions, showing how it became a natural response to dramatically changing times.

American Portraits is a two-volume collection of biographical profiles designed to supplement American History survey texts. Biography personalizes... history in a unique and profound way for students, lending a sense of immediacy to the study of the past. All of the essays selected for this anthology profile the life of a given individual and explore how that person influenced and was influenced by broader historical forces. Introductions begin each part, placing the biographies in topical and chronological perspective. Supporting documents, headnotes, and discussion questions help students place the biographies in context.

American Portraits is a two-volume collection of biographical profiles designed to supplement American History survey texts. Biography personalizes... history in a unique and profound way for students, lending a sense of immediacy to the study of the past. All of the essays selected for this anthology profile the life of a given individual and explore how that person influenced and was influenced by broader historical forces. Introductions begin each part, placing the biographies in topical and chronological perspective. Supporting documents, headnotes, and discussion questions help students place the biographies in context.