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AmPopMusic: Online, Interactive, Etext.

This course in American Popular Music History brings reading, listening, watching, and testing together in a unique learning environment.

Whether you are in a class of one or 100, AmPopmusic can help deliver the learning outcomes both students and instructors desire to achieve.

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What’s Covered in AmPopMusic?

AmPopMusic starts in 19th century America and unfolds nine musical genres including folk, country & western, jazz, blues, rock ‘n’ roll, rap/hip-hop, and musical theatre. A Study Unit on “Understanding Music” is also included for those with no previous knowledge in basic musical concepts.

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Student Engagement

How do we engage our students?

Read and Hear

Study Units

AmPopMusic Study Units cover the historical unfolding of musical genres from their very beginnings. Throughout over 120 chapters in the Etext, users discover the birth, but also the evolution, of American musical styles.

Audio and video examples are woven throughout the reading material, making learning an engaging multimedia experience.

Periodic chapter quizzes test the readers’ comprehension of facts, terms, and concepts in Study Unit chapters.

Read and Hear
Study Unit Screenshot 012123a
Click the screenshot above for a list of Study Units and chapters
Audio Video Screenshot
Click the screenshot above for an overview of the Audio/Video Room             
Watch and Learn

Audio/Video Room

For further exploration, over 1,100 historic and stylistically representative videos are available for viewing in the Audio/Video Room. Organized by musical style and time period, these videos are also searchable by name, instrument, or topic.

The Audio/Video Room is invaluable for instructors looking for readily available in-class demonstrations of musical examples.

Watch and Learn
Study and Test

Testing Library

To reinforce the reading and listening done in the other two sections of AmPopMusic, the Testing Library offers dozens of self-grading practice tests, crossword puzzles, listening tests, and timed reviews. 

These are designed to allow the user to double-check their knowledge of musical genres, musicians, facts, and concepts explored and presented in the Study Units and Audio/Video Room.

Study and Test
Click the screenshot above for a look at the Testing Library
Testimonials

What are others saying about AmPopMusic?

“I could go to class and hear something that the teacher says or plays and instead of just opening a book, I can go home and fully immerse myself in the experience..., that, to me, was the value of AmPopMusic.”
AltonStudent
Alton
“I never felt like ‘ugh, I have to study’ – it was really fun and it was something that I could interact with, ...it’s very different from a textbook sitting there in front of you; you can go in and get feedback on how you’re doing and what you know.”
HannahStudent
Hannah
“So, I would read about Elvis and then go into the Playdeck or Audio/Video Room and be able to listen and say ‘Oh, THIS is Elvis – this is how he sounds and these are the instruments used.’ So I would go from reading to listening to watching and back. It helped it all come together for me.”
DeenaStudent
Deena
“It addresses different student’s learning styles; and we find students go beyond the reading assignment – they are listening and watching and discovering and LEARNING!”
ElaineTeacher
Elaine
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Do you have a question about ampopmusic.com?

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Demo: Get started with a free course!

Try before you buy.

We’re so certain you’ll love AmPopMusic, we encourage you to explore what’s inside by examining a free demo course.

Reading material, audio & video, quiz, puzzle, and interactive material just on the other side of this button!

This free course grants you access to a video clip, reading material, puzzle game, and a quiz! You get a taste for some of the awesome interactive elements we offer.

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Answers to questions we are frequently asked.

Frequently Asked Questions

ampopmusic.com is responsive – available for viewing online with smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktop computers.

Most subscriptions are for one calendar year, however, in some group purchases, they may extend to the end of one or two semesters.

AmPopMusic is recognized and works fully with all browsers and operating systems.

As Flash technology is being phased out, all aspects of AmPopMusic are available without having to resort to using an outdated Flash plugin in your browser.

Because of the incredible amount of content – chapters, musical examples, tests and quizzes, and videos – viewing AmPopMusic in an offline app is not possible. But anywhere there is an available internet connection – coffee house, restaurant, dorm room, library, or wherever, AmPopMusic is there for your enjoyment.

Yes, as a teacher or leader of your group, you’ll be able to monitor their activities and progress throughout the semester or year. Printable reports are also available for the class or student.

Yes, you’ll be able to send communiques and reminders to individual students in your class.

AmPopMusic will continue to have chapters, audio, video, and testing materials added. When new content is added, announcements will be placed in the “What’s New” section.

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READ AND HEAR​

Study Units

An Overview

Ch. 1: Understanding Pitch

Ch. 2: Understanding Musical Pulse

Ch. 3: Understanding Volume

Ch. 4: Understanding Tone

Ch. 5: Understanding Melody

Ch. 6: Understanding Harmony

Ch. 7: Understanding Rhythm

Ch. 8: Understanding Bass

Ch. 9: Understanding Countermelody

Ch. 10: Understanding Structure

Ch. 11: Understanding Instrumentation

Ch. 12: Understanding Tempo

An Overview

Ch. 1: 19th Century: Pre-Foster

Ch. 2: Folk Music by the People

Ch. 3: Popular Music in its Infancy

Ch. 4: Stephen Foster – “Father of American Popular Music”

Ch. 5: The Importance of Stephen Foster

Ch. 6: Scott Joplin – “King of Ragtime”

Ch. 7: The Player Piano – Automated Music

Ch. 8: John Philip Sousa – “The March King”

Ch. 9: John Philip Sousa – Recording Artist and Activist

An Overview

Ch. 1: John Lomax – Recording American Roots Music

Ch. 2: Woody Guthrie – “Father of Modern American Folk Music”

Ch. 3: Leadbelly & Pete Seeger: End of the First Wave

Ch. 4: The Kingston Trio – Beginning of the Second Wave

Ch. 5: Joan Baez – “First Lady of Folk Music”

Ch. 6: Peter, Paul & Mary – Balancing the Message

Ch. 7: Robert Zimmerman – The Beginning of an American Icon

Ch. 8: Dylan in New York City

Ch. 9: Dylan after Newport

Ch. 10: The Importance of Dylan

Ch. 11: Folk Music in the 21st Century

An Overview

Ch. 1: The Roots of Country

Ch. 2: Bristol Beginnings

Ch. 3: The Grand Ole Opry

Ch. 4: Cowboys and the Movies

Ch. 5: Western Swing

Ch. 6: Bluegrass: Hillbilly on Caffeine

Ch. 7: Honky-tonk: Merging Two into One

Ch. 8: The Nashville Sound: Country-Pop

Ch. 9: Rockabilly – Country meets R&B

Ch. 10: Country Feminists Find Their Voice

Ch. 11: The Bakersfield Sound

Ch. 12: Austin “Outlaw” Country

Ch. 13: Neo-Traditionalists at the end of the 20th Century

Ch. 14: Mainstreaming Country in the ‘90s

Ch. 15: Redesigning Country in the 21st Century

An Overview

Ch. 1: What is Jazz?

Ch. 2: Before It Was Jazz

Ch. 3: Jazz is Born!

Ch. 4: Early Jazz Musicians

Ch. 5: Louis Armstrong

Ch. 6: Chicago and Harlem – Hub of 1920s Jazz

Ch. 7: Big Band – Jazz Swing!

Ch. 8: Big Band Musicians and Singers

Ch. 9: Jump Blues and Bop

Ch. 10: Cool Jazz

Ch. 11: Hard Bop

Ch. 12: Free Jazz – Breaking the Rules

Ch. 13: Fusion – The Jazz-Rock-Funk Experience

Ch. 14: Third Stream and World Jazz

Ch. 15: New Age & Smooth Jazz

Ch. 16: Summary – Jazz Lives!

An Overview

Ch. 1: Blues – The Granddaddy of American Popular Music

Ch. 2: Where Did the Blues Come From?

Ch. 3: What Are the Blues?

Ch. 4: How to Build the Blues

Ch. 5: Classic Blues – The Early Years

Ch. 6: Delta Blues – Authentic Beginnings

Ch. 7: Blues in the City – Migration and Power

Ch. 8: Blues in Britain – Redefining the Masters

Ch. 9: Contemporary Blues – Maturity and Respect

Ch. 10: The Relevancy of the Blues Today

Ch. 1: Timelines, Cultures & Technology

Ch. 2: Pre-Rock Influences

Ch. 3: Rock is Born!

Ch. 4: Rock is Named

Ch. 5: Doo-Wop

Ch. 6: Independent Record Labels

Ch. 7: Technology Shapes Rock ‘n’ Roll

Ch. 8: The Plan to Mainstream Rock ‘n’ Roll

Ch. 9: Payola – Rock ‘n’ Roll’s First Scandal

Ch. 1: Crafting Sound in the Studio/Producers and Hit Songs

Ch. 2: West Coast Sound: Beach, Surf, and Teens

Ch. 3: The British Invasion: Two Prongs – Pop & Blues

Ch. 4: Motown and the Development of a Black Pop-Rock Sound

Ch. 5: Soul Music: Gospel and R&B in the Deep South

Ch. 6: The Sounds of Bubble Gum Pop-Rock

Ch. 7: The Arrival of Folk-Rock

Ch. 8: Psychedelic Rock ‘n’ Roll

Ch. 9: Early Guitar Gods of Rock

Ch. 10: Rock Festivals: The Rise and Fall of Music, Peace, and Love

Ch. 11: Anti-Woodstock and Shock Rock Movements

Ch. 1: Technological Breakthroughs

Ch. 2: Electronic Dance Music

Ch. 3: Hip-Hop & Rap – An Introduction

Ch. 4: The Beginnings of Rap

Ch. 5: Old School Rap – Up From the Streets

Ch. 6: Rap’s Golden Age

Ch. 7: East Coast – Political Rap

Ch. 8: West Coast – Gangsta Rap

Ch. 9: The Fragmentation of Rap – Pop, Party & More

Ch. 10: Further Fragmentation – Different Directions

Ch. 11: The Importance of Rap

Ch. 1: Musical Stage Productions in America before the 1800s

Ch. 2: Minstrel Shows and Melodramas

Ch. 3: Stage Presentations in the Late 19th Century

Ch. 4: Early 20th Century: Revues and Operettas

Ch. 5: The Arrival of the Modern American Musical

Ch. 6: Great Partnerships in Book-Musicals

Ch. 7: Musical Theatre Composers in the mid-Century

Ch. 8: Fresh Voices on the Stage in the 1960s

Ch. 9: Two Dominant Forces at the End of the Century

Ch. 10: New Voices at the End of the Century

Ch. 11: New Voices, New Sounds in the New Century

Ch. 12: Musical Theatre Glossary

Ch. 13: Is it “Theatre” or “Theater”?

Study Units also have “Playdecks” – containing hundreds of chronologically organized audio examples of music in the study units, and “Study Qs” for unit chapters.

Watch and Learn

Audio/Video Room

Study and Test

Testing Library

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