²ÝÁñÉçÇø

By Drakko Harper ’26

From the 12-bar blues that inspired jazz all the way to modern icons like Jay-Z and Beyonce, ²ÝÁñÉçÇø is the place where students can learn both the practical theory of music and the complex cultural history behind it with the American Pop Music course (INST 2623/ MUSC 3046) taught by Associate Professor of Music Michael Yonchak, PhD.

This 15-week course is not your typical history lecture. Yonchak inherited this course from a former faculty member but has been spending the last decade reimagining and developing this course into a more dynamic, modern exploration of music as a show of protest and cultural identity. There is something new each day as the course flows from delta blues to the British invasion, Motown, hip-hop, and even disco and punk.