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What instructors receive
- Temporary, full-course review access at no cost or obligation
- Complete lessons, media, activities, and assessment components
- Flexible adoption options with implementation assistance
- Setup and implementation support
5th edition · Lower-division undergraduate; no prior musical training required
Music Appreciation
Fourteen lessons on music history, listening, and the elements behind music from early traditions through the twenty-first century.
Course at a glance
- Intended use
- General-education music appreciation and introductory music-history courses
- Student level
- Lower-division undergraduate; no prior musical training required
- Edition
- 5th edition
- Authors
- Donald D. Megill, David W. Megill
- Structure
- 14 lessons
- Format
- Digital access code; complete online course with no separate physical textbook
- Student price
- $79.98 USD
- ISBN
- 978-1-7350385-1-3
Music Appreciation combines music appreciation and music history in one online course. Students build listening skills through readings, writing, concert and research activities, and interactive timed listening notes tied to the compositions used in lectures, assignments, and quizzes.
Learning outcomes
- Identify core musical elements, forms, instruments, and listening techniques.
- Relate major Western music periods and selected world traditions to their cultural contexts.
- Apply guided listening methods when describing and comparing musical works.
- Communicate observations through listening, writing, concert, and research activities.
Course design
Complete online lessons combine readings, multimedia, activities, and assessments in a sequenced course foundation.
- Reading, listening, and writing assignments plus concert-attendance and research activities
- Interactive timed listening notes embedded in lectures
- Recurring excerpts across lectures, assignments, and quizzes
Table of contents
- Music & Culture: An Introduction
- Sounds & Its Sources: Musical Instruments & the Orchestra
- The Language of Music: Basic Elements & Forms
- Monophony to Polyphony: Medieval, Gothic & Renaissance
- Review: Medieval, Gothic & Renaissance
- Detail, Contrast & Emotions: The Baroque Period
- The First Historical Listening Exercise: Medieval, Renaissance & Baroque
- Genius, Poise & Passion: The Viennese & the Romantic Periods
- Listening Identification: Classical/Viennese & Romantic
- Braving the Musical Elements: The Twentieth Century & New Music
- Musical Themes & Development Topics 1–5, plus Special Focus: The Concerto
- Musical Themes & Development Topic 6, plus Special Focus: Chamber Music
- Musical Themes & Development Topics 7–12, plus Special Focus: World Music
- Review: The Twentieth Century & New Music
What students receive
- Access to all assigned course readings, media, activities, and assessments
- One digital access product; no separate physical textbook
- Technical and accessibility support for Course Orbit materials
Assessments and instructor control
Listening-identification exercises, quizzes, written work, concert reports, and research activities; instructors control grading rules and may adjust the assessment plan.
Instructors may adjust pacing, due dates, grading, policies, supplementary materials, and permitted LMS settings while preserving licensed course content.
Delivery, accessibility, and requirements
Delivery choices
- Import into an institution's supported LMS using a standard course cartridge
- Choose a supported adoption path when institutional LMS delivery is not preferred
Course cartridges are intended for cartridge-compatible LMS environments. Course Orbit confirms the institution's version and setup during implementation rather than guaranteeing every configuration.
Accessibility
Course content is developed toward WCAG 2.1 AA. Accommodation questions and issue reports are routed to [email protected]. Read the accessibility statement.
Technical requirements
- A current browser with JavaScript, cookies, audio, and video enabled as required by course media
- Reliable internet access and institution-supported LMS credentials when delivered through an institutional LMS
- Speakers or headphones for listening-based activities
Support
Instructors receive implementation support; students receive Course Orbit material and access support. Institutions remain responsible for institutional credentials, rosters, policies, and LMS administration. View instructor resources.
Authors
Donald D. Megill
Donald D. Megill develops music-history and appreciation course materials that have been refined across multiple published editions.
Additional academic credentials and current affiliations are pending publisher verification and are not presented as endorsements.
David W. Megill
David W. Megill develops music-history and appreciation course materials that have been refined across multiple published editions.
Additional academic credentials and current affiliations are pending publisher verification and are not presented as endorsements.
Related evaluation resources
- Digital Textbook Versus Complete Digital Course — Understand the practical differences among eBooks, homework platforms, complete digital courses, and flexible course adoption.
- How to Evaluate a Complete Digital Course — A practical checklist for reviewing content, assessments, accessibility, delivery, instructor control, student cost, and support before adoption.
- What to Ask About LMS Integration — Questions for evaluating course import, grades, student access, support responsibilities, accessibility, and adoption options.
Review Music Appreciation before you decide.
Instructor review access is free and temporary during evaluation. The adoptions team follows up within one business day with access and implementation details.