ABSTRACT
Instructors seeking to diversify music and topics discussed in their curricula may turn to popular music examples to supplement the comparative lacuna of analyzed western classical works by Black artists. With this change in focus comes at least three pedagogical challenges: (1) how to approach musical organization in popular music, (2) how to discuss the similarities and differences between popular and classical music styles without superimposing the “rules” of the latter onto the former, and (3) how to create a meaningful progression toward more advanced topics when works by Black artists are currently under-theorized and thus less accessible to instructors. This chapter proposes a sound-first approach that promotes an emphasis on listening and the use of protonotation. By removing a reliance on scores or transcriptions, students with varying levels of notational fluency can approach classical and popular music styles on equal footing. We utilize a spiral curricular design that starts with contrapuntal reductions and moves through cadences and phrase types to small forms. Throughout, we explore several examples by Black artists for each topic and provide lists of excerpts for further listening.
