Music Means explores the complex artistic, social, commercial, political, and material histories of American music. Launched as part of the Many Musics of America project, a special event series organized by the American Musicological Society, Music Means publishes original narrative and commentary, alongside multimedia features, educational resources, and more. It provides a wealth of information to help users understand how different forms of music – simple and multi-layered, harmonious and dissonant, traditional and innovative – are woven into the story of America and its peoples.

Music Means is about music and meaning in the United States, including its global connections. It is about expression, interaction, inheritance, and identity. Start anywhere. Read anything. But before you leave, our sincere hope is that you will listen, hum, dance, sing, experience, or understand America in a new way.