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AmPopMusic & Your Ensemble Class

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Using AmPopMusic with your musical ensembles to meet
“Responding” and “Connecting” Standards is possible!

No American Popular Music History class? No worry – AmPopMusic can be still be a valuable tool for your ensembles.

You’re already meeting two of the National Standards with your rehearsals and performances. “Creating” and “Performing” are what you do – every class, every week throughout the year.

But, what about the “Responding” and “Connecting” Standards? Can they be part of your ensembles regular activities?

With ampopmusic.com, we think they can! Here are some ideas:

Lesson Plans
Key points, viewing suggestions, discussion ideas, and activities
Nine Study Units
Understanding Music, 19th Century American Music, 20th Century Folk, Country & Western, Jazz, Blues, Early Rock 'n' Roll, Rap/Hip-Hop, and Musical Theatre.
AmPopMusic "My Notepad"
Short essays, summaries, and reviews.
3 Important Things In 30 Seconds
30 second overviews or chapters as preview or summary of chapters
Available on All Smart Devices
Anywhere you have an internet connection, you have AmPopMusic!
Audio & Video Examples
Over 1,800 audio and video examples organized and available right within AmPopMusic.
Study Questions & Worksheets
Study Questions, Crossword Puzzles, and printable activities ready to use throughout AmPopMusic.
Assessments & Evaluations
Quizzes, tests, worksheets, and study questions.
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1) Connect with Your Repertoire's Background

AmPopMusic Study UnitIs Big Band part of your 2021-2022 repertoire? How about classic rock songs of the ’60s or ’70s? 19th century folk songs? Or perhaps selections from musical theatre, or rap, or the blues?

Give your students a research assignment to dig into the background of each of these genres to get a fuller understanding of what they’re playing or singing. Stylistic influences, key characteristics, important musicians and composers – all the background information for your students to better understand what they’re rehearsing each week.

And beyond the reading, they can watch and hear performances of similar repertoire to better understand how those works on your program have been interpreted by others.

Looking for their feedback? With their “Take Notes” widget, they can write short essays or summaries and they’re available for your viewing and evaluation immediately. 

2) Makeup Activities for Absences

AmPopMusic Study UnitIs Big Band part of your 2021-2022 repertoire? How about classic rock songs of the ’60s or ’70s? 19th century folk songs? Or perhaps selections from musical theatre, or rap, or the blues?

Give your students a research assignment to dig into the background of each of these genres to get a fuller understanding of what they’re playing or singing. Stylistic influences, key characteristics, important musicians and composers – all the background information for your students to better understand what they’re rehearsing each week.

And beyond the reading, they can watch and hear performances of similar repertoire to better understand how those works on your program have been interpreted by others.

Looking for their feedback? With their “Take Notes” widget, they can write short essays or summaries and they’re available for your viewing and evaluation immediately. 

3) Substitute Teacher Lesson Plans

AmPopMusic Study UnitIs Big Band part of your 2021-2022 repertoire? How about classic rock songs of the ’60s or ’70s? 19th century folk songs? Or perhaps selections from musical theatre, or rap, or the blues?

Give your students a research assignment to dig into the background of each of these genres to get a fuller understanding of what they’re playing or singing. Stylistic influences, key characteristics, important musicians and composers – all the background information for your students to better understand what they’re rehearsing each week.

And beyond the reading, they can watch and hear performances of similar repertoire to better understand how those works on your program have been interpreted by others.

Looking for their feedback? With their “Take Notes” widget, they can write short essays or summaries and they’re available for your viewing and evaluation immediately. 

4) Feed Student Curiosity - Extra credit points or activity

AmPopMusic Study UnitIs Big Band part of your 2021-2022 repertoire? How about classic rock songs of the ’60s or ’70s? 19th century folk songs? Or perhaps selections from musical theatre, or rap, or the blues?

Give your students a research assignment to dig into the background of each of these genres to get a fuller understanding of what they’re playing or singing. Stylistic influences, key characteristics, important musicians and composers – all the background information for your students to better understand what they’re rehearsing each week.

And beyond the reading, they can watch and hear performances of similar repertoire to better understand how those works on your program have been interpreted by others.

Looking for their feedback? With their “Take Notes” widget, they can write short essays or summaries and they’re available for your viewing and evaluation immediately. 

5) Prepare for what might come - the return of "virtual classrooms"?

Is Big Band part of your 2021-2022 repertoire? How about classic rock songs of the ’60s or ’70s? 19th century folk songs? Or perhaps selections from musical theatre, or rap, or the blues?

Give your students a research assignment to dig into the background of each of these genres to get a fuller understanding of what they’re playing or singing. Stylistic influences, key characteristics, important musicians and composers – all the background information for your students to better understand what they’re rehearsing each week.

And beyond the reading, they can watch and hear performances of similar repertoire to better understand how those works on your program have been interpreted by others.

Looking for their feedback? With their “Take Notes” widget, they can write short essays or summaries and they’re available for your viewing and evaluation immediately. 

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    Study and Test

    Testing Library

    Watch and Learn

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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.