Crossroads in Music : Traditions and Connections

PART I: INTRODUCTION. 1. Music and Your World. 2. Listening to Music. Part II: TERMINOLOGY. 3. Rhythm: Music Moving Through Time. 4. Melody: The Horizontal Dimension. 5. Harmony: The Vertical Dimension. 6. Color and Strength in Music. 7. Thickness in Music: Texture and Density. 8. Musical Structure. 9. The Sources of Music: Voices and Instruments. Part III: RITUAL MUSIC. 10. Learning About Music: Finding the Best Approach. 11. Defining Ritual: What, When, and Where. 12. Ritual Music as Part of the Church Service. 13. Sacred Ritual Music In and Outside the Church. 14. Ritual Music with Added Dimensions. 15. Ritual Music in the Concert Hall. Part IV: FOLK MUSIC. 16. Folk Music in the United States. 17. Folk Music Around the World. 18. Adapting Folk to Concert Music. Part V: LARGE CONCERT ENSEMBLES. 19. Diversity in Large Concert Groups. 20. Orchestra: The Evolution of the Classical Symphony. 21. Orchestra: The Zenith of the Symphony in the Nineteenth Century. 22. Soloists: With and Without Orchestra. 23. Opera: Combining Orchestra and Voices. 24. The Band Idiom. Part VI: SMALL CONCERT ENSEMBLES. 25. Diversity in Small Ensembles: Indian Classical. 26. Small Vocal Settings. 27. Small Instrumental Groups: Chamber Music. 28. Together But Not An Ensemble - Electronic Music. Part VII: COMMERCIAL/POPULAR MUSIC. 29. Early Influential Styles in the United States. 30. Country and The Birth of Rock. 31. Soul and Other Rock/Country Variants. 32. The Musical. 33. Mixtures of Musical and Opera/Commercial and Concert. 34. Film Music. 35. Evolving a Global Popular Music. Part VIII: SYNTHESIS: WAYS OF APPLYING WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED. 36. The Contemporary Scene and Experiencing the Classics. 37. Exploring Popular Music Styles. Glossary. General Index.

Organized chiefly around music themes and music in culture rather than the basic style periods of Western art music, CROSSOADS IN MUSIC provides a basic introduction to music that integrates and explores the similarities among Classical music, popular music, and world music. A user-friendly text designed for non-majors, the book is comprised of 37 brief, topical chapters that keep students interested in and focused on specific ideas. The package text and audio 4-CD set, sold separately, is one of the most inexpensive on the market.