With a focus on listening and engagement, Rock DNA provides students with a general history of rock and roll on an innovative and interactive platform complete with over 275 embedded songs, numerous activities, embedded images, video links, ‘spotlights,’ ‘fun facts,’ quizzes, and over 200 pages of actual text across 10 chapters. From ragtime to rockabilly, and progressive rock to modern pop, students will become immersed in some of the most impactful music of the last 100 years – and even get a digital music subscription with the textbook! Accessible and engaging, Rock DNA uses straight-forward language when describing musical terms, song forms, technical elements and more, so that even non-musicians can quickly grasp sophisticated concepts. For the instructor, it is practically a complete course in itself, allowing one to add as much or as little as one chooses, and overall, it makes going online extremely easy and enjoyable.
Matt Altmire’s love of rock began at a young age while listening to the radio and watching music videos on MTV all day long! As a young drummer in the California desert, he played in a heavy metal band with his brother called Victoria Manor, two members of which would later form the punk band Face to Face, while his brother would later join the rap metal band Capitol Eye. With an interest in a variety of music, Matt would go on to participate in drum corps, study orchestral percussion in college, and eventually earn a DMA from UCLA. In addition to working as a professional drummer, percussionist, and arranger, Matt has served on the music faculty at Santa Monica College (CA), Mt. San Antonio College (CA), Towson University (MD), and Chaffey College (CA), and his duties have included everything from teaching percussion & steel drums to music appreciation and rock music history.
Chapter 1 – Early Jazz Influences on Rock and Roll
Chapter 2 – Blues and Country Music influences on Rock and Roll
Chapter 3 – Other Popular Styles that influenced Early Rock and Roll
Chapter 4 – The Big Bang of Rock and Roll!
Chapter 5 – Trends that Followed Early Rock and Roll
Chapter 6 – The British Invasion and American Reaction
Chapter 7 – Folk, Folk-Rock, and Singer-Songwriters
Chapter 8 – New Sounds Born out of Rock
Chapter 9 – Hard Rock and other New Sounds
Chapter 10 – Modern Trends