Listening to Music (with Download, 1 term (6 months) Printed Access Card) - Softcover

Great survey with terrific supporting materials, including maps, graphs in different colors, good timelines. Good selection of materials: representative and thorough. Textual language is college level but clear. First chapter especially well done. Great references to pop culture. Introduction to modern issues about music is very thoughtfully presented. Where are we going? Loved the musical styles checklist. The modern student could feel at home with the many selections of "how to listen" to the materials. This is a great book for a college population who actually read the text. It covers each period in around 80 pages, but it is approachable for the student of today who wants materials in many formats. Great supporting materials like maps, graphs and art works. Its strengths are its 1) readability for a general audience 2) wonderful online resources ... 3) conciseness in terms of the material it presents 4) its provision of an eBook as well as a hard copy version of the text, and, 5) use of music samples by current artists who may be more familiar to students. The writing is very clear and an "enjoyable read". He gives pertinent information and keeps the reader engaged without boredom or using a "dumbing down" approach. It is written in such a way as to keep the reader personally engaged and spurred to actively listen to music, and not just as a list of musical history. I especially like the references to popular culture and feel they help the reader make relevant connections from historical and factual information to recent and current trends in music. The Checklists of Musical Style are also particularly useful and help students to summarize the information presented for each era. The "What to Listen For" pointers are good and direct the readers/listeners to the main aspects to be discovered in each piece. This is an excellent, thorough text for today's college student and should increase student interest and understanding of the topics presented. It will spur students to explore music outside of the classroom and teach them to actively listen to music.

Combining a student-friendly presentation with cutting-edge digital resources, LISTENING TO MUSIC equips you with the tools to actively listen to and inspire a lifelong appreciation for music. Known for his clear, conversational style, Professor Wright helps you immediately find connections to music by comparing pop and classical music concepts. His text is organized chronologically and discusses musical examples from each era in its social context -- describing the construction and culture of each piece. LISTENING TO MUSIC is fully integrated with MindTap to better help you develop your listening skills and maximize your course success. Online resources include interactive exercises, streaming music, Active Listening Guides, chapter and critical thinking quizzes, iAudio lectures, YouTube videos, Beat the Clock games, and more. You also can download all music directly to a music library.