The Black and White

by Kaylie Martell

In addition to National Women’s History Month, the month of March also represents Music In Our Schools Month (MIOSM), which highlights the importance of music education and ensures that music remains accessible to all students. In recognition of her dedication to music education, Mrs. Kennedy was selected as The Black and White’s March Faculty Member of the Month. 

Students at Pilgrim will soon have an exciting opportunity to explore music in a deeper and more meaningful way through Mrs. Kennedy’s newest course, The History of American Pop Music. While she currently teaches Exploring Music, Mrs. Kennedy explained that the class is more vague, and can seem like a general “music appreciation” course. In contrast, this new class is designed to be more focused, examining how popular music in the United States has evolved over time. 

Mrs. Kennedy developed the course herself, carefully writing the curriculum and organizing it into two parts. As of now, only part one will be offered, covering the years 1900 through 1950. However, she hopes to expand the program with a part two in the future, which would explore music from 1950 to the present, including genres such as country, folk, heavy metal , punk rock, and the beginnings of rap and hip-hop. 

The course focuses on four major genres that helped shape American popular music, which include the blues, ragtime, jazz, and early rhythm and blues (R&B). These styles laid the foundation for much of the music that we listen to today. 

In addition, the course challenges students to think critically about music in three key ways. Including, to “deconstruct genres by identifying the specific musical elements, rhythms, and structures that define them, to trace influence by connecting the dots between 1920s innovators and the artists currently dominating the charts, and to analyze context by understanding how social and cultural shifts have shaped music and how music has influenced changes in society”. 

Mrs. Kennedy also explains how this course has documentaries and real-world examples incorporated, as she highlights modern artists and moments to show that these early genres are still relevant today. 

Overall, The History of American Pop Music offers students a unique opportunity to understand not just music, but the true meaning behind it, connecting their history to the songs they listen to every day.