James Fenimore Cooper, an early American writer, once said, "The Americans are almost ignorant of the art of music." If that was once true, you would never know it today. Most Americans--even those without a musical bone in their bodies--have a favorite style of music. Many people enjoy classical and folk music from around the world. But other popular music styles in America were "made in the U.S.A."

　　一位美國早期的作家柯柏（James Fenimore Cooper）曾說：「美國人對音樂藝術幾乎可以說是相當的無知。」如果這話曾經是事實，今日你絕不會這么認為了。大部份的美國人，甚至包括那些沒有音樂細胞的人，都有自己喜愛的音樂型態。許多人喜歡世界各國的古典音樂和民俗音樂，然而美國其它的流行音樂則是「在美國制造」的。

　　Country and western music lies close to the heart of many Americans. This style originated among country folks in the southern and western United States. Country music tells down-to-earth stories about love and life's hardships. Guitars, banjos and violins--also known as fiddles--give country music its characteristic sound. The home of country music is Nashville, Tennessee--Music City U.S.A. Country music even has its own theme park called "Opryland" where you can enjoy music shows and fun rides. "The Grand Ole Opry," the oldest radio show in the United States, broadcasts country music live from Opryland every weekend.

　　鄉村和西部音樂深得很多美國人的人心，這種型態的音樂起源于美國南部和西部的鄉村小民們。鄉村音樂傳述著真實不加渲染的愛情故事和生活中的艱難。吉他、五弦琴和小提琴（violin又名fiddle）可彈奏出鄉村音樂的特殊音色。鄉村音樂的發源地是田納西州的納許維爾市--美國的音樂城市。而鄉村音樂甚至還有它自己的主題樂園--Opryland呢！在那兒你可以享受音樂表演以及好玩的游樂設施。美國最老牌的廣播節目「The Grand Ole Opry」每個周末都實況播放Opryland的音樂。

　　Jazz music, developed by African-Americans in the late 1800s, allows performers to freely express their emotions and musical skill. Instead of just playing the melody, jazz musicians improvise different tunes using the same chords. The peak of jazz music came in the 1920s, known as "The Jazz Era." This period produced musicians like Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington. These musicians later created the "big band" sounds of the 1930s. Different styles of jazz developed in different cities, such as New Orleans, Chicago, New York and Kansas City. Composer George Gershwin brought jazz into the world of classical music with pieces like "Rhapsody in Blue."

　　爵士樂是十九世紀末期由非裔的美國人發展出來的。它讓表演者自由地表現他們的情感和音樂技巧。不僅演奏旋律，爵士音樂大師用同樣的和弦即興演奏出不同的曲調。爵士樂的高峰期出現于二○年代，該時期被稱為「爵士年代」。這個時期創造出來的樂手有阿姆斯特朗（Louise Armstrong），古德曼（Benny goodman）和埃林頓（Duke Ellington）。這些樂手稍后都創造了三○年代的「大樂團」之音。在不同的城市也孕育出不同的爵士風格，像是紐奧爾良、芝加哥、紐約和坎薩斯市。作曲家蓋希文（George Gershwin）更以像「藍色狂想曲」這樣的作品，將爵士樂帶入古典音樂的世界里。