This year, Mount Pisgah added a new elective called Topics in History: Modern Popular Music, taught by Mr. Durrance. If  you walk past Durrance’s classroom during A period, you will likely  hear classics of rock and roll, R&B and country.

“There are few things I love more than talking about music with others. I felt, too, as though there aren’t enough classes involving the everyday stuff we experience in life. The truth is, not everyone will be doing Math, History, Physics, English, etc. 10 years from now. But everyone will be around music, listen to it, and encounter it wherever they go. So, because of this, I felt like having a class that studies the purpose, content, and meaning of music was important,” said Durrance. 

Durrance teaches this class by decade and students examine subgenres and why they come out of those genres. They also look at the influence music has on things like culture, politics, and religion in societies, and how these things impact music. 

For homework, students get to listen to music and then analyze lyrics in class. 

“I love learning about music before I was born that I normally wouldn’t listen to. The 80s and 90s have been my favorite,” said junior Kamryn Smith.

Smith also explained that students also get to pick an artist or band of their choice to research in depth and then present to the class.

Smith added, “My decade is the 2010s and we will listen to Sabrina Carpenter.”

After taking his class Durrance hopes that his students will have a better appreciation for all types of music.

“My overall desire is for students to have a greater appreciation for the variety of music genres and understand how genres have changed over time.”