Developing a new text for Music 304 at Iowa State University and measuring its viability

Abstract

<p>From Bakersfield to Beale Street: A Regional History of American Rock 'n' Roll is the title of a new textbook by David Stuart and Ryan Sheeler, published in 2006 in an initial run by Kendall-Hunt Publishing in Dubuque IA. In the fall of 2004, Stuart and Sheeler received a preliminary agreement from Kendall-Hunt to create this new textbook. This book explores the development of rock music by looking at important regional centers in the first half of the Twentieth Century. This approach represents a unique niche in the study of rock music. By focusing on the regional elements of American rock music, students and scholars will find this new approach engaging and we expect that teachers will adopt the new text. The authors believe that a study of regional influences in rock will enhance student ability for critical thinking and listening, as well as quantifying the diversity issues inherent in the music. The goal of this thesis is to study the classroom viability of the text during its first release and use in the spring of 2006. The study will examine the creation, development, implementation, and evaluation of the textbook project, and will gather data to measure the book's acceptance by students during its initial run.</p>