This contemporary collection teaches American music history through student-centered projects. Each of the 15 lessons is intended to prompt risk-taking and the expression of artistic intent, making students the leaders of their own learning. From tracing the culture of an ancestor to forming a student ukulele jam, or writing and recording a rap, you can pick and choose your favorites or use the complete book as a sequential curriculum on the development of American popular music. Core music standards, teacher instructions, reproducible student sheets, and single-point assessment rubrics are included for each project.