Our story begins -- Folk music : traditional music from the earliest times -- Sacred voices : religious singing from the medieval era -- Composed for the court : the professional musicians of the Renaissance -- Concerts, choirs and dances : music for everyone in the High Baroque -- Symphonic sounds : the orchestra and the classical period -- A visit to the opera : musical drama comes of age -- From the classical to the romantic : the new music of the19th century -- The pride of nations : music of the late romantic era -- Sing-along songs : vaudeville and music hall favourites -- Dancing at the ballet : dance theatre and its music -- All that jazz : new rhythms for the 20th century -- Singing the blues : from workers' songs to R&B -- The musical : song and dance showtime -- Music for the movies : film scores and soundtracks -- Hit songs and singers : songs that made stars -- Country styles : bluegrass, cowboys and rockabilly -- Latin American rhythms : the music of South America and the Caribbean -- Rock 'n' roll : music for teenagers in the 1950s -- Soul music : African-American youth culture -- Ska and reggae : the offbeat rhythms of Jamaica -- Beat music and the Beatles : the 1960s start swinging -- Songs of protest : music with a message -- Indian music : a new audience for an ancient tradition -- Are you ready to rock? : the rock band and the electric guitar -- Electronic, ambient and techno : the sound of synthesizers -- Psychedelic and prog rock : concept albums and festivals -- Pop music : chart toppers and new bands -- Funk : soul, R&B and jazz collide -- Glam rock : the shimmering pop of the 1970s -- Disco moves : dancing to pop, soul and Latin -- Heavy metal : head-banging rock -- World music : new sounds from around the world -- Modern classical : experiments in sound and performance -- Punk rock : the voice of the rebels -- Rap and hip-hop : street music goes mainstream -- Indie music : independent bands make waves -- Girl groups, boy bands and K-Pop : manufacturing hits -- 21st-century pop music : from contemporary R&B to electropop -- Freestyle : choose your own music -- Glossary.A friendly and inspiring introduction to music history, telling the stories of the world's greatest musicians from Bach to Beyonce. The Story of Music begins with the early drums and flutes of our ancestors, which date back to the last icea age, through to the modern day. Mick Manning and Brita Granstroem take your on a tour of their personally selected music library which showcases the work of some of the world's most famous artists and few a less well-known ones. The friendly text and illustrations help children to appreciate the music, highlighting interesting biographical details and picking out key details to spot.