This text book provides an excellent breakdown of the basics behind the science of music, as well as a brief but comprehensive look at all musical periods.
Content Accuracy rating: 3
The subject matter is fairly accurate. When it gets into discussing composers, some composers who many consider as important or influential are not discussed. None of the 20th century composers are listed or discussed.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 5
This but has great relevance, including using musical examples from 21st century popular music, and discussing Jazz and its creations of Rock, Country, etc.
Clarity rating: 5
The text is accessible to all students, whether they have a music background or not. Each chapter includes a glossary of important terms that assists comprehension of the subject matter.
Consistency rating: 5
The text is consistent throughout.
Modularity rating: 5
Each chapter is broken down into sub-categories, making it easier to assign readings and to study.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
Beginning with a brief explanation of music theory and the science of music helps the reader understand what they are getting ready to learn and discuss. Every subsequent chapter is chronological.
Interface rating: 2
All of the graphics are helpful to the reader. Many of the internet links to examples are broken or no longer exist.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
Grammatically, this text is fine.
Cultural Relevance rating: 2
Getting into 19th and 20th Century American music, topics, such as Minstrel shows, are glossed over and discussed for only 1-2 paragraphs. Other derogatory terms- such as Hillbilly Music- are used.
This text is perfect for a 100 level general education music course.
Reviewed by Kate Bergman, Clinical instructor and academic advisor, Emporia State University on 5/14/21
No index, but excellent glossary at conclusion of each chapter and at the end. Covers classical music history, plus last chapter of popular music and world music. read more
Reviewed by Kate Bergman, Clinical instructor and academic advisor, Emporia State University on 5/14/21
Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less
No index, but excellent glossary at conclusion of each chapter and at the end. Covers classical music history, plus last chapter of popular music and world music.
Content Accuracy rating: 4
I've been teaching music appreciation for fifteen years, and most of the standard classical repertoire was included here.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 4
It's nice to have the listening links handy, which is something I know I have to check every semester to make sure they are still available.
Clarity rating: 4
Lots of information included, but fairly easy to read. The beginning fundamentals chapter is very inclusive. I especially appreciated the instrument sounds link.
Consistency rating: 5
I LOVE the set up of objectives, key terms and introduction at the beginning of each chapter, and the summary and glossary at the end of each chapter.
Modularity rating: 5
Very clean and definitely helpful and needed in the popular section that includes SO much information, from jazz, rock, rhythm and blues, rap, folk, country, Broadway, and then the different sections of world music too: Native American, European folk, Celtic, Norway, Russia, Asian, African, etc.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
From the Middle Ages to Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Twentieth-century and beyond, this flows one right into the next very smoothly.
Interface rating: 5
Layout is very clean and easy-to-read, and some pictures of architecture and art to aid context is helpful.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
If I hadn't been a music teacher, I would have been an English teacher. I didn't find any errors.
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
A lot of classical music appreciation textbooks are primarily western European, so it's nice to include the popular and world music chapters to be more multicultural and inclusive.
My institution has changed to focus specific areas of music, such as different music appreciation classes for popular music, film music and rock 'n' roll. I wish I could find sources for these, more than just individual chapters. If it wasn't for budget cuts, I would have hoped to still be teaching a classical music appreciation section and would seriously look into this text.
Reviewed by Evan Kirk, Instructor of Music, Community College of Aurora on 8/3/20
This text is very thorough. I enjoyed seeing so much depth on every topic from the basics/fundamentals all the way through western musical history. read more
Reviewed by Evan Kirk, Instructor of Music, Community College of Aurora on 8/3/20
Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less
This text is very thorough. I enjoyed seeing so much depth on every topic from the basics/fundamentals all the way through western musical history.
Content Accuracy rating: 5
The content matches up with all biographical research I have conducted on the subject.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 4
I love the diversity of the examples used to demonstrate the topics early in the book. I'm also a huge proponent of the use of modern pop songs (example: "All I Do Is Win" marching band excerpt). However, those modern examples will need to be updated occasionally to keep with the pop culture zeitgeist that engages new sets of young college students every few years.
Clarity rating: 4
There are, at times, sentences, paragraphs, and even whole pages that sound a bit wordy for an audience largely composed of 'new' listeners. It's not that there is a ton of technical jargon being used- just that there are sentences that even this experienced instructor had to reread. Again, there isn't anything wrong with a long-winded book, but a consideration of the audience might call for the occasional edit.
Consistency rating: 5
Probably my favorite aspect of this text. Each subject is thoroughly dissected and emphasis is directed not just to the most popular historical characters and artistic movements, but to some of their colleagues and counterparts as well.
Modularity rating: 3
The visual nature of the pages within this text does not lend itself well to stops and starts, pauses, review, etc. It seems like there might be difficulty in easily dividing the text up for use by a class that won't need to go through all of the topics presented by the authors.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
No comment is really even needed here. The order of topics presented is identical with how most textbooks introduce them. To read this book from cover to cover would mean a near-perfect musical journey, provided one actually stops for each youtube clip and audio example.
Interface rating: 5
The PDF of this text is compatible with both a Windows PC and Apple iPad.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
There were no grammatical errors that stood out.
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
I return to an earlier comment made on the excellent diversity of musical examples used to introduce the base topics outlined in the first unit. I saw nothing wrong with what was included in this text.
Reviewed by Jonathan Kulp, Director, School of Music and Performing Arts, ULL on 10/31/19
This book actually covers more content areas than I do in my own class, since it includes also popular music and non-western music. The glossary is extensive but not always accurate--read carefully! The embedded table of contents is practically. read more
Reviewed by Jonathan Kulp, Director, School of Music and Performing Arts, ULL on 10/31/19
Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less
This book actually covers more content areas than I do in my own class, since it includes also popular music and non-western music. The glossary is extensive but not always accurate--read carefully! The embedded table of contents is practically unusable (see below). There's no index, but in an electronic text this is not a problem because it is easy to search through the text.
Content Accuracy rating: 1
The book is riddled with typographical errors, broken links, and some factual inaccuracies. For example, on p. 237 it states that Stravinsky's Rite of Spring was choreographed by Sergei Diaghilev. Diaghilev commissioned the ballet, but it was choreographed by Nijinsky.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 1
In terms of content, it's fine in this respect, but the publishers will not share the source files so it's extremely difficult to **update** the content. It is only available as a PDF. This is why I made my own edition of the text so that I can easily update it, fix broken links, and so forth.
Clarity rating: 2
The writing is very uneven in this book. Some chapters are well written, while others are almost unreadable and need to be completely rewritten. This is probably because there are four authors. There was at least one chapter that I could not use at all and had to substitute in content from another source.
Consistency rating: 5
The format of the book is very consistent and predictable, giving a nice list of terminology at the beginning of the chapter, then the main content of the chapter, followed by a summary and glossary.
Modularity rating: 3
Yes and no. There are copious section headings and subheadings to lead the reader along and keep things on track, so in this respect it's actually pretty good, but because the publisher would not share source files, it's difficult to extract sections and reuse in different contexts. This is another reason I made my own edition, for ease of extraction.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
Interface rating: 2
It's a fairly large PDF, which in itself can be problematic but is sometimes mitigated by a good table of contents. The Table of Contents of this file is a mess. Something went wrong when they were generating the PDF. The TOC has direct links to four or five pages of the front matter, and then the next link is to chapter 6, then chapter 7, and then the appendices. None of the other chapters can be accessed from the embedded table of contents.
ACCESSIBILITY PROBLEM: My biggest problem with it is that the book does not meet my basic accessibility requirements, since the PDF cannot be viewed comfortably on a mobile device. This is yet another reason I made my own edition in HTML, EPUB, and Kindle formats. Apart from the kinds of accessibility concerns that relate to disabilities, any modern electronic textbook should be FLEXIBLE, and viewable comfortably on devices of any size. Further, it should be possible to **change the font size** and not just zoom in and out, which usually leaves parts of the page off the side of the screen. PDF doesn't seem to bother most people as much as it does me, but I can't use it at all for a textbook.
Grammatical Errors rating: 3
Related to the comment about writing above, some chapters are good and some are very poor. Not surprising in a multi-author work, but it could use the eye of a single editor going over the entire thing.
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
This part is fine.
GOOD FEATURE: One really good thing about the book is that it is full of well-chosen, high-quality images, properly credited, from Creative Commons sources.
Reviewed by Lewton Jones, Graduate Student/PSU/Music Teacher/Community Ed, PCC on 6/19/18
The book reads like a text book in its tight order. It covers the beginning of music, sound, acoustics in a very comprehensive way. At the end of each chapter is a Glossary and Summation which is very helpful because of the volley of information. read more
Reviewed by Lewton Jones, Graduate Student/PSU/Music Teacher/Community Ed, PCC on 6/19/18
Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less
The book reads like a text book in its tight order. It covers the beginning of music, sound, acoustics in a very comprehensive way. At the end of each chapter is a Glossary and Summation which is very helpful because of the volley of information the reader is exposed to.It is well organized and appropriate to the subject of music as an abstract idea. The objectives of its origins and history are accurate and helpful.
Content Accuracy rating: 5
The accuracy is quite compelling as the reader is slowly lead from musical jargon to examples of music historically and emotionally. The first section on acoustics and how sound works is exact and well researched. The terminology is defined well, the history is accurate, even giving a nod to the Beatles and Elvis, in a segue from Ragtime, Jazz, Country, Blues and Rock and Roll.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 5
The last chapters reveal the connection of monophony to polophony to electronica, Rap music,Grunge, all from a timeline of sound. It is a great example of relevance and that as music morphs it creates its own longevity.
Clarity rating: 5
The glossary and the diagrams were clear. The physics implied are not easy reading, it requires a context of focus.
Terms like definite pitch and indefinite pitch albeit harmony versus noise has be clear and it was written well.
Consistency rating: 4
The structure of the template used was repetitive like a school book. This is not a philosophical book. It is a factual look at music yet alludes to abstract perceptions and origins and effects of change. The index and glossary helped to associate with the narrative ie. the original essence of linguistic geography/bird sounds to the phonic vernacular via church, tyranny and the modernization of mimetic sound exploration. It is consistent throughout the chapters, perhaps a little formulaic.
Modularity rating: 4
The book was written in second person using Chapter headers, subject points and sub sections. I liked the in depth description of key points followed by connecting sub headings yet always leading to the glossary and summation. Association of concepts showcase its modularity regarding disruption in the reading sections. Some topics could have been whole chapters instead they were integrated into the musical lexicon.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
The strongest aspect of the book is its organization. The way it guides the reader historically all the while injecting music theory.
The flow of the book is really in its linear directive which is to affirm and prove how things like Gospel became soul, how Ragtime became Jazz, or how the Ballad was a moral tale. Classical music was touched on by the literate examples of composers and how different instruments were needed in the timbre and color of a piece. It began with discovery of modes and showed how these modes became the notes to symphonic possibilities.
Interface rating: 4
The wave length and Hrtz charts were kind of small, things like overtones and intervals are hard to present with images. Sometimes it was too condensed possibly requiring more imagery/ related symbols of imagination.The Dummy Books many times show how static textbooks are to read and comprehend information. It is not a confusing book.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
The grammar is on a college level, I saw no mistakes.
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
This is a great book for diverse musical idioms. The cultural timeline really helps to see music in a democratic way. Its obviously western in its semantics, we travel from churches in Europe to Wood Guthrie and the Blues in America. The book begins in Grecian geometry/Pathagoras, to chanting, Duke Ellington, Elvis, The Beatles and Bebop to fulfill our primeval intuition to enunciate sound.
It is less than 400 pages which makes it a good read in class or as a reference book. I will recommend it to my students.
Reviewed by Matthew Donahue, Lecturer, Bowling Green State University on 2/1/18
This book (Understanding Music Past and Present) does a good job of covering a variety of Western musical styles for the non-music major student. Keep in mind that this book is only an introductory textbook and is not meant to go in depth into. read more
Reviewed by Matthew Donahue, Lecturer, Bowling Green State University on 2/1/18
Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less
This book (Understanding Music Past and Present) does a good job of covering a variety of Western musical styles for the non-music major student. Keep in mind that this book is only an introductory textbook and is not meant to go in depth into the topics covered. The variety of musical styles covered is beneficial for someone teaching a course on music that is broad and for non-music majors, as it allows for a variety of topics to be taught in a course. Also helpful is that there is a glossary of terms, illustrations and photographic material in an effort to engage the non-music major student. Additionally, the Youtube links are also helpful to students who likely are not too familiar with many of the artists and styles included. While this textbook may seem basic, it is ideal for an introductory course. The book's index also is effective, additionally as mentioned above, this book has numerous photos and illustrations, and Youtube video links which help to convey information for the reader as well.
Content Accuracy rating: 4
This book is accurate and through its broad topics covered manages to be inclusive. This textbook covers not only the fundamentals of music, but also music though the ages. Particularly interesting is the Popular Music in the United States chapter as it covers the ways in which American popular music rose to prominence. There is certainly ample room for this chapter to be expanded as this topic will likely be of interest to the non-music major who might be familiar with some of the styles included i.e.. blues, jazz, rock and roll, rap etc.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 4
The content is up to date and this book does cover the history of the various topics covers. This allows the student to cover this material from a historical point of view, the inclusion of illustrations and video links is also helpful in terms of introducing the non-major student to the artists and or musical styles mentioned in each chapter. I like how the book did cover the relevance of music from different eras, including the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Classical Period, right through popular music in the United States. I feel that the section on American popular music was good, the authors should consider expanding on this chapter to include a wider array of popular music styles as this section might likely be more relevant and of interest to the
non-music major student.
Clarity rating: 4
This book is very clear in its writing. This book covers a broad area of topics related to Western music. In doing so, this book helps in serving a broad group of students particularly non-music majors. This book is a basic introductory textbook and for non-music majors. The Youtube links that are included in the book are helpful as they allow the student to gain more familiarity with the artists that are included in the chapters, many of whom they are likely unfamiliar with. The glossary of words coupled with the terms in bold in each chapter helps to bring this book as a better learning experience and something that the student can be tested on. Keep in mind that this book is best for students who are not majors in music as it is a basic introductory textbook only.
Consistency rating: 4
As mentioned above, this book does a good job of conveying information by including a glossary which is connected to the terms in bold for each chapter. This is a plus as it allows for a way to test students and forces the students to learn the terminology. Additionally, the color illustrations are also of interest to the learner and allows for further learning to take place. This could be another way in which students could be tested on this material. To not only test them on terminology, but also the illustrations presented and the video links allow for additional ways of testing students.
Modularity rating: 4
There are no problems with the books modularity. The book is divided in such a way that it does allow for each chapter to be discussed in detail in one lecture sitting. Also the authors did a good job of presenting a variety of topics in each chapter that could be examined further in a lecture or as a starting off point for that topic etc. Keep in mind that this book seems to be designed for non-music majors.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4
There are no problems with the organization and flow of the textbook.
Interface rating: 4
The interface of this textbook is quite good. The authors inclusion of illustrations, photographs and also video links will be helpful to the non-music major student. The video links in particular, as students are likely not familiar with many of the artists who are presented in this textbook. The video links will be helpful to students who are new to this field of study and musical styles and will allow them to get a further understanding tot he approach of the performers included. This is directly related to the section on American popular music. The problem with Youtube links is that they are here today and gone tomorrow. However, if this portion of this book is regularly maintained, it should not be an issue.
Grammatical Errors rating: 4
There are no major grammatical errors in this textbook.
Cultural Relevance rating: 4
This book does take up a variety of different topics in music through the ages. I do think that the section on American popular music could be expanded as this will likely be of most interest to the non-music major.. This book is a basic introductory textbook, which is appropriate for non-music majors. The authors have attempted to be inclusive in their approach to cover a variety of topics to reach broad audience of non-music majors. The inclusion of video links will also be helpful as it will provide examples for students who are likely unfamiliar with some of the artists and styles presented.
Reviewed by Alexandre Beliaev, Lecturer, University of California, Berkeley on 2/1/18
This book contains a glossary of musical terms at the end of each chapter, as well as an extensive general glossary for the whole textbook as an appendix. The book does not contain an index for those who want to find where specific terms or topics. read more
Reviewed by Alexandre Beliaev, Lecturer, University of California, Berkeley on 2/1/18
Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less
This book contains a glossary of musical terms at the end of each chapter, as well as an extensive general glossary for the whole textbook as an appendix. The book does not contain an index for those who want to find where specific terms or topics are discussed. Given the electronic interface, it would not be difficult for readers to use the Ctrl+ Find function to do so, but a written index would have still been helpful.
Content Accuracy rating: 5
There were no noticeable errors in this text. The authors are clearly experts in their fields, and presented informed and balanced explanations of the material.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 3
A significant shortcoming of this text is its limited attention to popular music that it’s undergraduate readers would likely already be listening to. Only a few songs of the post-WWII period are analyzed. Discussion of rap and R&B is included, as well as Broadway musicals, but much more could have been done to connect the trajectory of Western music with the immense of variety of genres and artists that would already be familiar to this textbook’s readers. However, it would not be difficult to fill these lacunae in future editions.
Clarity rating: 5
This is a highly accessible text. Undergraduates of any level would have no difficulty understanding this material; the text assumes no previous knowledge of either music or European or Western history. Key terms are clearly explained in the introductory chapter, and are given enough context and explanation in the body chapters as to be easily understood on their own. Over the course of the textbook, students learn to develop a nuanced musical vocabulary without relying on unnecessary jargon. Each chapter dedicates space to providing adequate historical context.
Consistency rating: 5
This is a highly consistent text. Each chapter follows a set format: objectives, key terms, an introduction and historical context, thematic sections with links to representative musical compositions and performances, listening guides for select pieces, a chapter summary, and a chapter glossary.
Modularity rating: 5
This text is comprised of clear chapters and sub-chapter sections that could be easily assigned over the course of a semester. The text is not overly self-referential, so single chapters can be used independently at the instructor’s discretion.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
This text had a clearly historico-linear structure, beginning with a chapter on musical terminology and theory, then taking readers from each stage of the development of Western music from the Medieval period to the 20th century.
Interface rating: 5
Each chapter includes helpful illustrations, diagrams, and links to audio and video performances that illustrate the technical and historical content discussed. The ease of accessing the clips directly from the internet, as opposed to a separate CD, makes this a very enjoyable reading experience. The detailed listening guides are a wonderful resource for students analyzing music for the first time. The authors should note that several of the links were not functional at the time of this review.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
There were no noticeable grammatical errors.
Cultural Relevance rating: 3
This text is titled “Understanding Music Past and Present”, yet the vast majority of the book is devoted exclusively to Europe and the West. The rest of the world’s music is primarily confined to a short appendix (including single paragraphs on China and Japan each). Concentrating on the West is not an issue in itself, but a more appropriate and accurate book title would have made this focus explicit. This text would have benefited from greater discussion of why the book concentrates on Western music, even by means of discussing what makes Western music distinct. Discussion of the influence of non-Western music could have been more extensive (including, for instance, the influence of Moorish music on the troubadour genre, and the Arabic origins of the guitar and the do-re-mi Solfeggio syllables).To its credit, the influence of African music on American folk music is given several pages. Accompanying issues of cultural appropriation would have made this text more relevant to contemporary issues around the politics of music. Indeed, the controversial and political dynamics of music would be an excellent way of engaging today’s undergraduates. Greater sensitivity should also have been considered when including a link to a YouTube video performance of "Camptown Races" sung by Al Jolson, which includes singers in blackface. This can be triggering for many students. The authors reference the racism of the genre of minstrelsy, yet warning of the offensive content, or including an audio-only clip, could have been more appropriate. Lack of attention to contemporary world music is a significant shortcoming. Lastly, this text uses the first person plural “we” as the narrative voice throughout, referring specifically to an American point of view. For example, the last sentence reads “Although America was not yet discovered during much of the early development of Western art music, we have contributed much to the culture of the world in a relatively short span of time.” (p 284, emphasis added). This kind of language risks alienating international and multicultural students. It also limits the text’s intended audience to the United States, as opposed to any other part of the English-speaking world.
Chapter objectives are a helpful resource, but no post-reading discussion questions or expansion activities are provided.
Reviewed by Ingrid Gordon, Associate Adjunct Professor, LaGuardia Community College on 2/1/18
The book is a comprehensive survey of the history of Western Classical Music (including a chapter on music fundamentals), and has a good table of contents and a very good glossary. It also covers Popular and non-Western musics, but these are given. read more
Reviewed by Ingrid Gordon, Associate Adjunct Professor, LaGuardia Community College on 2/1/18
Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less
The book is a comprehensive survey of the history of Western Classical Music (including a chapter on music fundamentals), and has a good table of contents and a very good glossary. It also covers Popular and non-Western musics, but these are given much shorter shrift.
Content Accuracy rating: 5
The book appears to be accurate and well-researched, but is biased towards Western Classical Music versus other forms of music.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 3
The theoretical and historical content is good, but the twentieth century chapter is flimsy and the 21st century is virtually ignored. Additionally, the book relies on YouTube videos to provide the audio content, and this reviewer found that several of the links that were tested are already out of date/broken.
Clarity rating: 5
The text is clear and well-written. In fact, it seems less jargony than other texts.
Consistency rating: 5
The book has several authors, but it seems consistent and well-coordinated between the chapters.
Modularity rating: 5
The chapter is divided into clear chapters and sub-chapters, and lends itself well to breaking into smaller chunks of reading. Most pages also have images and other illustrations, which break up the text flow through good visual design.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4
The organization is clear and logical: theory-historical survey-other styles of music, but also shows a bias in what is featured first and given most time.
Interface rating: 4
I printed this book to review it, so I can't say. It came to me as a PDF file. As far as I know it doesn't function as an eBook.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
No problems there.
Cultural Relevance rating: 3
This is the greatest weakness of the book. I teach an urban, culturally mixed student population, who may feel alienated by the emphasis on the history of white European music. If that's not a problem for you, this book is fine. It would be suitable for a course that presents the history of Western Classical music, but less suitable for a course with a more broad mandate.
It would be nice if this book were somehow editable and updatable by the community. That way the broken YouTube links could be continually updated and a single professor wouldn't have to waste their time researching all of the dead links. An online book with streaming audio examples would be great.
Reviewed by Thomas Garcia, Associate Professor, Miami University on 6/20/17
This book is a comprehensive look at music history. It covers music from the Middle Ages through the Twentieth Century and beyond, and includes a look at Popular music in the United States. It includes a glossary of terms and a discussion of. read more
Reviewed by Thomas Garcia, Associate Professor, Miami University on 6/20/17
Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less
This book is a comprehensive look at music history. It covers music from the Middle Ages through the Twentieth Century and beyond, and includes a look at Popular music in the United States. It includes a glossary of terms and a discussion of music fundamentals
Content Accuracy rating: 4
This book is accurate for the most part, but covers so many topic in a short space that it lacks depth in any area.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 4
The book is up to date, and covers over a thousand years of music. Updates will be easy.
Clarity rating: 3
This book is clear in terms of accessible prose, but covers so many issues and topics in a small space that clarity is not in service of learning. It packs too much material in a 300-page book; it seems to cover topics superficially.
Consistency rating: 3
This book is consistent in terminology, scope and breadth throughout the topics.
Modularity rating: 5
This book is completely modular, in terms of historical periods and the division of topics in these historical periods.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4
The book is well organized, with each historical period clearly delineated. It is logical in terms of structure, but the there is a lack of depth in any given topic, trying to get too much material in each section.
Interface rating: 4
There are no significant issues in terms of images, etc. This review had a paper copy of the book, which is far less useful than an online or digital version, especially since all of the musical examples are youtube video or audio. This is another issue in terms of interface, since youtube presents both copyright issues and is inconsistent because of material pulled for copyright violations.
Grammatical Errors rating: 4
The are no obvious grammatical errors.
Cultural Relevance rating: 2
This book covers all music periods in Western music from the Middle Ages to the Twentieth Century, with a small section on this century, and a section on Popular Music in the United States. This is an issue in terms of cultural relevance. The title is Understanding Music, which is misleading. The title indicates that it could be about music history, theory, ethnomusicology, or any other large-scale musical topic. It is exclusively about Western music history for most of the book, and the popular music section is only about American music. This assumes that Western music is the only music that counts; it should have been titled Understanding Western Music, or something of this sort. Since it seems to aim for inclusivity and cultural relevance, perhaps this should be rethought.
I find this book to be problematic for a number of reasons, some of which are cited above. The overarching problem with the book is that it uses a Swiss Army Knife or Leatherman multi-tool approach to music. Either of these tools is useful in the short term to turn a screw or many other tasks, but will never replace a screwdriver, which is good for accomplishing a single task. This book bites off more than it can chew. I think it might be useful for some courses, and would be a good study guide preparing students for a comprehensive exam, but do not think it would be a strong choice for a music history or a popular music course. There is simply no depth to any one topic. It covers many topics, and would not lend itself to a rigorous study of music history. I think it would serve for a music appreciation text, but I would probably cut out some of the modules, especially the popular music section, which seems tagged on to a classical music text book.
Reviewed by Lillie Gordon, Lecturer, University of Tennessee on 6/20/17
This book covers all of the areas generally included in similar WAM textbooks, although late 20th and early 21st century composers are not engaged thoroughly. The introduction includes more focus on the science of music than most other options. read more
Reviewed by Lillie Gordon, Lecturer, University of Tennessee on 6/20/17
Comprehensiveness rating: 2 see less
This book covers all of the areas generally included in similar WAM textbooks, although late 20th and early 21st century composers are not engaged thoroughly. The introduction includes more focus on the science of music than most other options, which might increase students’ understanding and interest in the material, particularly non-majors. One nearly insurmountable flaw is the inclusion of the inaccurate and highly problematic “Popular Music of the United States” chapter and “Music of the World” appendix, both of which the authors seemed ill-prepared to tackle in a way consistent with contemporary scholarship and pedagogy (see below). Additionally, even within the WAM chapters, the authors often fail to engage difficult but ethically important topics. For example, “primitivism” is not problematized or discussed, though the term is used.
Content Accuracy rating: 2
As mentioned above, major inaccuracies and omissions occur in the last chapters, including the conflation of bluegrass and old time music (called “hillbilly” music, without discussion of that term). Rap is “traced back to Africa.” Worse yet, the minstrelsy section is horrifyingly under-discussed.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 2
Since the majority of the book deals with the past and a fairly established canon, most of it will remain relevant. Some of the links, however, are already obsolete. This is particularly problematic when those links are attached to listening examples, whose timings are listed in the helpful listening charts. It is worth noting that this book only nods towards pushing again the WAM canon. For example, the section on Felix Mendelssohn and Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel is titled “Music of the Mendelssohns,” but only one paragraph and no listening examples are a devoted to Fanny.
Clarity rating: 4
The writing in the opening chapters is clear and comprehensible.
Consistency rating: 2
This book, as mentioned above, is inconsistent in terms of its content, with the contextual information being much more thorough in some chapters as compared to others. The musical examples are also treated with more care in the earlier chapters compared to the later ones. It seems to be fairly consistent in terms of terminology, although the explanations of words like “homophony” in the introduction should more clearly match the way they are used throughout the book.
Modularity rating: 2
Professors may find the subdivisions within chapters of this book difficult to use. Compositions are grouped by composer rather than genre, which would make teaching in coherent and cohesive units a challenge, and might reinforce the “great men” style of teaching WAM history.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 2
Given that the chapters’ internal organization is by composer, it is surprising that those composers are not presented in birth order or order of composition. For example, John Philip Sousa is presented before Giuseppe Verdi, even though the featured composition from Sousa dates from 40 years after the Verdi composition, and Sousa knew Verdi’s compositions. This mode of organization could be very confusing for students.
Interface rating: 3
The interface for this textbook is fine, aside from the outdated links. Refreshingly, there are very few side bars, so the narrative flows smoothly. It being an online textbook, this book would have benefited from links to videos for the opera examples, among others.
Grammatical Errors rating: 4
I didn’t see any grammatical errors, but did notice one issue with capitalization.
Cultural Relevance rating: 1
Cultural relevance is an area in which this book is severely lacking. Despite the welcomed inclusion of Martin Luther and Koji Kondo, composer of the music from The Legend of Zelda, the book did not highlight any composers of color or women in the WAM tradition in the 20th and 21st centuries (of which there are many). As mentioned earlier, terms like “primitivism” and “minstrelsy” are left woefully underexamined, and the discussion of popular music and world music border on racism.
One major advantage of this book in the WAM chapters is the broad discussion of historical context. Compared to other books of its type, this one takes a considerable amount of time setting up the political and artistic context of each period discussed, at least in the chapters on the music before the 20th century. I also appreciated the timelines listing historical and musical events.
Reviewed by Jason Heald, Associate Professor, Umpqua Community College on 6/20/17
Understanding Music: Past and Present is a conventional survey of Western European Music for non-music majors. The information is, for the most part, presented chronologically, and the authors provide detailed historical context for each musical. read more
Reviewed by Jason Heald, Associate Professor, Umpqua Community College on 6/20/17
Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less
Understanding Music: Past and Present is a conventional survey of Western European Music for non-music majors. The information is, for the most part, presented chronologically, and the authors provide detailed historical context for each musical period and specific compositions. The book’s presentation of “popular music” seems pasted into the text and could be more integrated into the history of common practice music. World music is discussed briefly in the Appendix and would serve as a “teaser” for other college music courses, but is not presented with any real substance.
Content Accuracy rating: 5
Overall, this text is factually accurate and provides students with reliable information.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 4
With the exception of a handful of the popular music references, (which reflect current trends that might be less relevant in the near future), this text should have a long shelf life.
Clarity rating: 4
This book is written in a style and structure that should be intelligible to most college students. Beware that the authors’ use of musical terms and jargon goes far beyond what a non-music student is likely to understand. The instructor will have to prioritize the terms and concepts that are most important for the student to master.
Consistency rating: 4
The book’s presentation of Western European “Art music” is quite thorough and presented in a fairly uniform manner. However, the distinction and definitions given to “Folk music” and “Popular music” are very problematic. The authors may want to consider if, for example, Handel and Mozart, (who endeavored to write popular music), really thought that their music would not “stand the test of time”, which is implied in the authors' definition of popular music. The Venn diagram used to illustrate the authors’ point seems to defy all music history, and creates inconsistencies within the book, e.g. John Phillip Sousa is presented as a composer of Western European art music, while Scott Joplin is presented as composer of popular music.
Modularity rating: 5
This book is divided into logical sections that can easily be designated for specific class assignments, courses, or course sequences.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
The book is very conventional in its organization, presenting an introduction to the elements of music followed by a detailed historical overview.
Interface rating: 5
The book presents clear illustrations and diagrams, and provides audio and video links for musical examples.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
The book employs good grammar throughout.
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
The book provides a detailed look at Western European music, but also supplies a human and historical context for the music. At a time when students have access to an unbelievable wealth of music, but have fewer historical references through which to understand the music, this book provides an invaluable lens to allow the student greater understanding music from the past and in the present. The book makes an effort to be inclusive, both in musical examples and language used in the text.
Reviewed by Steven Ashby, Instructor, Virginia Commonwealth University on 4/11/17
I found the text covered all the musical time periods of Westen Classical Music very succinctly. I found the discussion of Popular music forms in the final chapter to be a fine choice, as it can be overlooked and is often a good jumping off point. read more
Reviewed by Steven Ashby, Instructor, Virginia Commonwealth University on 4/11/17
Comprehensiveness rating: 3 see less
I found the text covered all the musical time periods of Westen Classical Music very succinctly. I found the discussion of Popular music forms in the final chapter to be a fine choice, as it can be overlooked and is often a good jumping off point for discussing musical elements since it is the style which students are most familiar with. We can then backtrack to the preceding generations of music. The text includes a nice glossary at the end of the book, and also at the end of each chapter. The chapter glossary should prove to be immediately helpful for students. There is no index to speak of, which is disappointing. As an online/digital resource, the text needs a table of contents containing links to each chapter, so the reader does not have to scroll through many pages to find the neccesssary material. Same goes for a proper index.
Content Accuracy rating: 4
In reading the content, I found the material to be accurate, coinciding with my background of knowledge and other commercial text books I've read.MyI only wish is that there was further discussion on the style and ways in which each composer exploited specific music elements in their works.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 4
Being a history of music text, the facts and musical styles presented are laid in stone. Continuing research may find new angles and artifacts to provide new perspectives, but Beethoven's music will not change, Gregorian chant will still have the same appeal. If neccessary, I'm confident the text could easily be updated as needed. Mainly, I'm thinking of the final chapter on popular music.
Clarity rating: 3
The text has been written in a very fluid, legible manner. Occassionally, there are areas that are short in their layout, feeling like necessary definitions where crammed into a paragraph. The highlighting of new vocabulary, or important facts are presented so the reader's attention is easily drawn to them. The summary charts comparing musical periods, ie. Barique v. Classical, are very clear and helpful.
The presentation of listening guides for the works presented is, for the most part, clear and easy to follow. An exception would be the guides for Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. The guides for each of the four movements where squished together in one run on chart. I'd like to see separation, so students may clearly follow along with the music they are listening to and studying.
Consistency rating: 2
The layout and flow from chapter to chapter was very consistent: an introduction to historical and cultural events that happened during time period being discussed, follow by discussion of the musical style of the time, and then specific composers. What I found inconsistent were the discussions of the composers. Some were only a timeline of life events. Some only a list of prominent pieces. Some with a brief discussion of the composer's specific musical style. If I were to use this text, I would incorporate further discussion on each composer's use of musical elements so we can discuss why Mozart sounds like Mozart, and Beethoven sounds like Beethoven.
Modularity rating: 4
Each chapter of the text is easily divided into the sections described above: historical/cultural context of time period being discussed, overview of musical style during the time, and discussion of prominent composers. Where need be, it would be easy to pick and choose composers to discuss, or leave out. As the development of musical styles is based on what has preceeded, reference to styles of previous generations cannot be avoided - you can't discuss Mozart properly without making refrence to Vivaldi, Bach, or Haydn's influence.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
The clarity, connection, and overlap of summarized material presented from chapter create an effective, and logoical progression from one musical period/style/composer to the next.
Interface rating: 2
The interface of this text is minmalistic, yet clear.
Addition of chapter links in the table of contents would be very helpful. Necessary.
A handful of the links to youtube videos for pieces being discussed are broken. Also, I'd prefer to use links that direct students to the specific piece or movement being discussed. Several links lead to a performance of the entire symphony when only a specific movements is discussed. I see this as a cause for confusion in studying the piece. External links to interviews, like the links to Khan Academy are a nice addition that give first hand insight to certain pieces.
Examples of visual art created during the discussed time period need the ability to enlarge, so we can see the details discussed. Tiny thumbnail inserts are not very helpful. Google Art might be a good option.
Again, the biggest issue are broken links to listening examples.
Grammatical Errors rating: 4
Though I noticed an occassional misspelling, or awkward turn of phrase, the grammar and presentation of language are clear and easy to follow.
Cultural Relevance rating: 3
The text show no offense nor insensitivity to any background, race, or ethnicity. There are a couple occassions were it is clear the book was written by US citizens for use in a US course that could take away from it being used in other countries. The appendix with an overview of different music from around the world is a nice touch.
Overall, the text is clear and concise presentation of the evolution of Western Classical Music across recorded history. If I were to use this text, I would spend more time discussing specific musical elements (rhythm, melody, harmony, texture, and form) to create a character and understanding towards each composer's style and legacy to the genre. I would also rework the choice of pieces explored for certain composers, as the ones presented feel more obscure, and not always their "greatest hit". As a survey course, the text should focus on the most obvious choice for discussion and identification.
Reviewed by Jonathan Chenoweth, Professor, University of Northern Iowa on 2/8/17
To assemble a comprehensive survey of Western art music in a single introductory volume of modest size is an impossible task, and I applaud the effort to make such a text available in a format that avoids the usual sticker shock. But in its. read more
Reviewed by Jonathan Chenoweth, Professor, University of Northern Iowa on 2/8/17
Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less
To assemble a comprehensive survey of Western art music in a single introductory volume of modest size is an impossible task, and I applaud the effort to make such a text available in a format that avoids the usual sticker shock. But in its present form, this attempt is jargon-heavy and moves at a breezy pace with little time for reflection or subtlety.
As is the case with many music appreciation texts, the title makes no mention of the book’s focus on Western classical tradition(s). The brief excursions into popular music, folk music, and world music are exceptions that only reinforce the Western orientation.
The introductory chapter is unavoidably superficial as it attempts to incorporate the perspectives of physics, physiology, and psychology, while touching briefly on Western conventions of culture, notation, timbre, form, and instrumentation, as well as building a vocabulary to describe dynamics, articulation, intervals, pitch names, electronics, and recording. The important matter of calling attention to the immediacy of the listening experience is sidelined in this well-intentioned effort to be inclusive of multiple academic disciplines, and to be rather detailed about terminology specific to literate European musical traditions.
The text provides convenient links to listening opportunities — the majority curated from YouTube — but at times these amount to an avalanche of hastily examined examples. In the exploration of folk and world music, these examples are weighted towards the commercial side of things.
Some mention of performers (and performance practice) and listeners (and reception history) would be helpful additions to the historical narrative focused on composers and styles.
The book (and each individual chapter) provides a glossary, but it lacks an index or page references attached to the definitions that would connect back to relevant passages in the text.
Content Accuracy rating: 3
Too often, technical terms are introduced without definitions, or the definitions lack precision. For example, on p. 16 the term “tri-tone” is used without definition and it does not appear in the glossary, nor again later in the book. The paragraph on p. 17 about key and scale is an example of vagueness and imprecision.
The reference on p. 57 to Gutenberg’s press misses the significance of his invention (movable type), and I question the accuracy of subsequent claims regarding the “decline of the church in the arts as well as music,” the idea that Luther ushered in the Renaissance, and the notion that the humanist movement produced “art and music for the vast middle class population.” Nearby, there is also a confused reference to “edge bounding.” (?) On p. 74 the authors claim that 18th c. opera stars were followed by paparazzi!
These are examples of a carelessness that too often creeps in to the narrative, and I am concerned that students will be led astray or muddled.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 3
The approach taken by this text is a familiar and enduring one, but many institutions and faculty are looking for alternatives to teaching music appreciation as a "music history lite" course. The legitimacy of being (or aspiring to be) "comprehensive" is also under scrutiny.
Clarity rating: 2
Musicians, like any specialists, can easily become unaware of the specialized vocabulary that they routinely use, or of the specific meanings they attach to commonly used words. For example, in this book the terms “sharp” and “flat” are introduced without explanation, and musical notation is routinely used to make points that will be lost on any students lacking aural skills grounded in musical literacy.
I am concerned that most students (even experienced musicians) would be confused by the diagrams on pp. 5-6; here, visual representations of a piano keyboard and of fractional string vibrations appear adjacent to verbal descriptions that can easily lead to misconceptions. (The seven letters of the “musical alphabet” are introduced next to a diagram illustrating the first seven partials, but these are completely different sets of pitches. The text reads: “Our musical alphabet consists of seven letters repeated over and over again in correspondence with these overtones.” The meaning here is unclear, but it is certainly misstated. Additionally, the term “partial” is incorrectly defined in the glossary; the fundamental is the first partial, whereas the first overtone is an octave above the fundamental. Unfortunately, the text uses the terms “overtone” and “partial” interchangeably and uses rather detailed (intimidating) musical notation to present them.
Other potentially confusing presentations include the blues progression diagram and accompanying text on p. 19, which doesn’t indicate the fact that the progression returns to the tonic because it is repeated. The language on p. 122 offers a few more examples of obscurity, in that “antecedent/consequent phrasing” is undefined, the description “flexible deployment of rhythm and rests” is rather too nuanced, and the terms “crescendo/decrescendo” and “opus” are used without explanation.
Consistency rating: 2
I think the book lacks a coherent lens, unless it is the frequently stated idea that music composition is grounded in its historical context. But this perspective is not pursued with any systematic integrity or rigor. For example, an extensive section at the beginning of the Baroque chapter outlines contemporaneous developments in science, philosophy, visual art, literature, politics, exploration — but the claimed influences of these subjects are never integrated into the musical discussion. The introductory pages to the Classical chapter do a better job of integration, but they include some over-simplifications and distortions. The discussion of Romanticism includes a summary of philosophy that is too breezy and jargon-laden to be meaningful, or to shed light on musical experiences.
A simple but helpful addition to the text would be to insure that the names of historical figures are consistently accompanied by their dates at first mention.
Modularity rating: 4
The book is presented in sections of reasonable length, with clear headings and subheadings to delineate the structure. Listening guides are formatted consistently, although they often lack index timings.
The book would benefit from cross references to passages where essential terms and topics are addressed elsewhere in the book.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4
The conventional chronology of a historical survey is adhered to. Although this approach limits the possibilities for a broader examination of musical genre or function, it has its definite merits in coherence.
Interface rating: 3
Some of the Internet links may have copyright or longevity issues; for instance:
p. 23— Ellington video has been taken down
p. 215—a link intended to take us to La Traviata goes to Hildegard instead
p. 221—the intended clip begins 14’ into the linked video
p. 293—Ravi Shankar video is blocked
p. 295—Indonesian gong music is unavailable.
The links on p. 16 to a collection of videos produced by the authors do not work.
Grammatical Errors rating: 3
The quality and tone of the writing is uneven, and there are frequently misspellings, poor constructions, and opaque sentences. Introductory books demand a high level of precision, and all texts should model exemplary writing.
Cultural Relevance rating: 3
I applaud the inclusion of popular music, but it is presented in an avalanche of superficially examined examples that do not give enough attention to matters of race, class, and gender. For that matter, the text as a whole avoids discussion of these topics. The appendix that addresses world music seems remarkably out of touch with the international nature of most contemporary music with which many students are already familiar. Also, the distinctions between folk, pop, and art music that are presented at the beginning of the text are missing here. Instead, the music in this section is all lumped together as music of “others,” without acknowledging that the examples intersperse commercialized, modernized, vernacular, and traditional versions. It may not qualify as a matter of inclusivity/exclusivity, but the text offers a rather unsympathetic presentation of avant-garde languages, including atonality, serialism, and music that the authors describe as “noise” vs. “harmonious sounds.”
I respect the effort that went into putting this extensive book together, including locating numerous open source images and diagrams. I value the contribution that the authors have made in providing a no-cost alternative to commercially published texts. My comments are intended to direct the attention of would-be adopters to aspects that they may (or may not) want to addressor supplement or modify as they prepare their courses.
Reviewed by David Mulcahy, Associate Professor, University of Arizona on 2/8/17
The book's main chapters provide a overview and history of music in the western world; starting with an introductory chapter about the 'fundamental' of music and proceeding chronologically from the music of the middle ages through popular music in. read more
Reviewed by David Mulcahy, Associate Professor, University of Arizona on 2/8/17
Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less
The book's main chapters provide a overview and history of music in the western world; starting with an introductory chapter about the 'fundamental' of music and proceeding chronologically from the music of the middle ages through popular music in the US in the 20th century.
Work outside the western canon is briefly notated in appendix entries.
Content Accuracy rating: 5
The provides a reliable guide to the musical periods and movements, personalities and forms it covers.
It may be served with a chapter that details the beginning of western music and it's history prior to the Middle Ages.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 5
Given that the provides a historical overview of western music form from the Middle Ages onward, the book has relevance and longevity. While new research might lead to new understanding of specific aspects, the book is a useful text with little danger of obsolescence.
Clarity rating: 5
Newcomers to the field will certainly find the style of the book clear and accessible; the book makes excellent use of hypertext examples to illustrate the ideas and concepts discussed. More advanced students will find much to appreciate in the book's clarity and depth.
Consistency rating: 5
The book employs a framework that successfully blends the work of its four editors into a coherent, consistent whole.
Modularity rating: 5
Chapters are organized with sub-sections; it effectively breaks up the larger chapter topic into smaller, more 'digestible' units that can be easily assigned and/or focused on.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
Understanding Music begins with an introductory chapter guiding the reader through the major components of music; melody, harmony, etc., then proceeds with a historical, chronologically examination of western music from the Middles Ages onwards. The organization of the book is thus straightforward and familiar.
Interface rating: 5
The book utilizes a familiar and effective method of presenting information; chapters begins with a listing of objectives and vocabulary. Illustrations are presented clearly, along with hypertext links to materials on thew web.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
The book employs standard academic syntax and grammar.
Cultural Relevance rating: 4
The book's focus is on western music and culminates in a final chapter on pop music in the United States. It is inclusive to the extent that the music of the places and periods covered is connected to "music" as a whole. Non-western music is briefly included in the extensive appendix. Readers looking for an overview or comprehensive treatment of music from the rest of the world would be best served by other books
Understanding Music is a comprehensive and useful examination of the music of the western world.
Understanding Music: Past and Present is an open Music Appreciation textbook co-authored by music faculty across Georgia. The text covers the fundamentals of music and the physics of sound, an exploration of music from the Middle Ages to the present day, and a final chapter on popular music in the United States.
Dr. Alan Clark is currently Director of Bands at Middle Georgia State University. He has taught and conducted at all levels from middle school through high school to professional military bands. While teaching High School in Lakeland, Florida he also served as an adjunct music faculty member at Florida Southern College and as an instructor with the Suncoast Sound Drum and Bugle Corps.
Tennessee-born jazz trumpeter Thomas Heflin has been hailed as “a fluent trumpeter with a bright tone and a forward-looking style” by jazz writer Scott Yanow. In 2005, he placed second in the Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition in Seattle, WA and has since been featured or mentioned in Italy’s Jazz Magazine, The Pittsburgh Tribune Review and The International Trumpet Guild Journal among others. Heflin has released three albums as a leader on Blue Canoe Records, the last of which was a collaborative CD with Ron Westray, former lead trombonist with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. He has performed in a professional capacity with the likes of James Williams, Vincent Herring, Donald Brown, and Lou Rawls. Heflin has served as an instructor at the Manhattan School of Music Summer Music Camp, The Jefferson Center Jazz Institute, the University of Texas, the University Outreach and Continuing Education Program at the University of Tennessee and Roane State Community College. He also served as the Central Greenough Artist-in-Residence in Western Australia as well as an artist-in-residence the Always on Stage Festival in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. In 2009, Heflin received his doctorate in Music Performance (Jazz Emphasis) from the University of Texas, Austin. Shortly after, he moved to New York City and served as Program Manager and jazz faculty at the Manhattan School of Music Precollege Division for five years. He now lives in Tifton with his wife Danica and his daughter Anna Bree and is proud to serve as Assistant Professor of Jazz at ABAC.
Originally from Valdosta, GA, Jeff Kluball earned a bachelor’s degree in music education in 1980 from Valdosta State College (currently Valdosta State University), and a master’s degree in music education in 1983 from the VanderCook College of Music in Chicago where he studied conducting under Victor Zajec. He continued his study in music conducting and band repertoire with Dr. William D. Revelli and received his Music Education Specialist Degree from Troy State University in 1990. Jeff completed his Doctorate of Education in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Sarasota on February 6, 2001. His extensive research revolved around the influence of music study on academic achievement and brain development.
Elizabeth Kramer, PhD, Associate Professor of Music History and Associate Dean, Department of Music, College of Arts and Humanities, University of West Georgia.
