Understanding Music, 8th edition

• Interactives and VideosIntegrated within the narrative, interactives and videos empower students to engage with concepts and take an active role in learning. REVEL's unique presentation of media as an intrinsic part of course content brings the hallmark features of Pearson's bestselling titles to life. REVEL's media interactives have been designed to be completed quickly, and its videos are brief, so students stay focused and on task.
• Quizzing
Located throughout REVEL, quizzing affords students opportunities to check their understanding at regular intervals before moving on.
• A Fully Mobile Learning ExperienceREVEL enables students to read and interact with course material on the devices they use, anywhere and anytime. Responsive design allows students to access REVEL on their tablet devices and smart phones, with content displayed clearly in both portrait and landscape view.
• Familiar Learning and Study Tools
Highlighting, note taking, and a glossary personalize the learning experience. Educators can add notes for students, too, including reminders or study tips.

• Assignment CalendarREVEL allows educators to indicate precisely which readings must be completed on which dates. This clear, detailed schedule helps students stay on task by eliminating any ambiguity as to which material will be covered during each class. And when students know what is expected of them, they're better motivated to keep up.
• Performance Dashboard
REVEL lets educators monitor class assignment completion as well as individual student achievement. It offers actionable information that helps educators intersect with their students in meaningful ways, such as points earned on quizzes and tests and time on task. Of particular note, the trending column reveals whether students' grades are improving or declining — which helps educators identify students who might need help to stay on track.

Understanding Music uses the following features to facilitate learning:

Chapters that emphasize context, understanding, and retention

• NEW! Each chapter consists of a fully integrated organization, involving:
  • NEW! Learning Objectives at the beginning of each chapter list the main points to help students better identify the focus of each unit.
  • UPDATED! Think About it  questions at the end of each chapter challenge readers to think about the material and engages them in discussion.
• NEW! Easy-to-read chapters full of exciting new insights on music students are either familiar with or have never heard of.
• UPDATED! Style Summaries at the end of each chapter put music in the context of history by exploring the  musical styles and elements of past historical periods to put music in the context of history.
• UPDATED! Fundamentals chart lists the basic elements of each historical music style.
• UPDATED! Need to Know lists appear in each chapter, reminding students of the main points that have been covered.
• UPDATED! Popular Music chapter has been updated with the latest artists and performers.
• Performance in Context discusses in each chapter how notable performance venues like Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris have played an important role in the history of music.
• Photos and illustrations help students connect the chapter material with visual content.

An emphasis on developing active listening skills

• UPDATED! Listening Guides have been further streamlined and clarified to better lead students through different pieces while identifying and explaining musical elements such as form, melody, harmony, instrumentation, and musical phrases.
• NEW! The Art of Listening is a new, independent chapter that guides students moment-by-moment through three short musical works to convey different elements, techniques, and vocabulary.
• Quick Listen features direct students to view YouTube performances to encourage exploration of additional performances online.
• Music Notes are short passages that demonstrate basic musical concepts and introduce students to specific aspects of music through simple tunes and short musical examples.
• A 3-CD set of recordings is available of all the performances discussed in the book.
• NEW! Streaming audio for all sections is available.

High-level support for instructors

• Instructor’s Manual contains sample syllabi, chapter summaries, hundreds of teaching tips, suggested classroom activities, letters, viola jokes, additional listening and reading materials to recommend or use in class, and dozens of other ways to help instructors engage students in the material.

• Pearson MyTest, a powerful assessment generation program, helps instructors easily create and print quizzes and exams. Questions and tests can be authored online, allowing instructors ultimate flexibility and the ability to manage assessments anytime, anywhere.
• PowerPoint Slides keyed to the text are available to engage students in the chapter material.

• Interactives and Videos
Integrated within the narrative, interactives and videos empower students to engage with concepts and take an active role in learning. REVEL's unique presentation of media as an intrinsic part of course content brings the hallmark features of Pearson's bestselling titles to life. REVEL's media interactives have been designed to be completed quickly, and its videos are brief, so students stay focused and on task.
• QuizzingLocated throughout REVEL, quizzing affords students opportunities to check their understanding at regular intervals before moving on.
• A Fully Mobile Learning Experience
REVEL enables students to read and interact with course material on the devices they use, anywhere and anytime. Responsive design allows students to access REVEL on their tablet devices and smart phones, with content displayed clearly in both portrait and landscape view.
• Familiar Learning and Study ToolsHighlighting, note taking, and a glossary personalize the learning experience. Educators can add notes for students, too, including reminders or study tips.

• Assignment Calendar
REVEL allows educators to indicate precisely which readings must be completed on which dates. This clear, detailed schedule helps students stay on task by eliminating any ambiguity as to which material will be covered during each class. And when students know what is expected of them, they're better motivated to keep up.
• Performance DashboardREVEL lets educators monitor class assignment completion as well as individual student achievement. It offers actionable information that helps educators intersect with their students in meaningful ways, such as points earned on quizzes and tests and time on task. Of particular note, the trending column reveals whether students' grades are improving or declining – which helps educators identify students who might need help to stay on track.

Chapters that emphasize context, understanding, and retention

• Each chapter consists of a fully integrated organization, involving:
  • Learning Objectives at the beginning of each chapter list the main points to help students better identify the focus of each unit.
  • UPDATED! Think About it  questions at the end of each chapter challenge readers to think about the material and engages them in discussion.
• Easy-to-read chapters full of exciting new insights on music students are either familiar with or have never heard of.
• UPDATED! Style Summaries at the end of each chapter put music in the context of history by exploring the  musical styles and elements of past historical periods to put music in the context of history.
• UPDATED! Fundamentals chart lists the basic elements of each historical music style.
• UPDATED! Need to Know lists appear in each chapter, reminding students of the main points that have been covered.
• UPDATED! Popular Music chapter has been updated with the latest artists and performers.

An emphasis on developing active listening skills

• UPDATED! Listening Guides have been further streamlined and clarified to better lead students through different pieces while identifying and explaining musical elements such as form, melody, harmony, instrumentation, and musical phrases.
• The Art of Listening is a new, independent chapter that guides students moment-by-moment through three short musical works to convey different elements, techniques, and vocabulary.
• Streaming audio for all sections is available.