Music in American Life

American LifeEditor Jaqueline Edmondson states in the preface to this encyclopedia: “The intent of these volumes is to capture some of the many ways that music affects life and culture in the United States, as well as the ways American culture in all its complexities influences music.” It is most useful for high school and undergraduate students as a starting point for research projects and papers, and each entry has suggestions for further reading. There are about five hundred entries, which average two to three thousand words each. They cover a wide range of topics, including musicians, places, events, instruments, and more. The organization is alphabetical, and the whole encyclopedia is well indexed. The authors have also included a selected general bibliography and discography, and a list of informative web sites for further reading.

Abraham Myler, research assistant