When I began teaching a college level general education music appreciation class in 2010 the required textbook for the course was a traditional survey of approximately 1400 years of Western European music history launched by a brief introduction of musical terms. As a classically trained choral conductor and singer I felt right at home with this publication, one that is widely used in hundreds of colleges and universities nationwide. Although some of my students also enjoyed this romp through centuries of music history, particularly those who had traditional musical training themselves, the course reinforced what the majority already thought they knew about "classical" music: classical music is boring and difficult. On the student evaluation at the end of the course one student remarked that he would want this textbook if he was stranded on a deserted island because it was so boring it would last forever!

This textbook is the summation of four years of teaching Making Sense of the Sound: The Art of Listening well to Great Music, putting the sources into context, and enabling both students and their instructors to "connect the dots." Each chapter represents my research and lectures on the eight topics that organize the course. It is my hope that students will engage with the textbook content outside of class time so there is more time in class to do what should be happening in a music appreciation class, listening to great music! I hope you enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed writing it and teaching Making Sense of the Sound: The Art of Listening Well to Great Music.