Among the many social studies electives that Lexington High School offers, the course Controversy and Social Music is one that provides a unique twist on history—through music. This class has been taught by Patrick Donaher since 2015 and has since evolved from an all-jazz history class to one covering a broad variety of genres.

“It’s a history of American pop music, and by extension, American popular culture from 1950 until however far we get, which is usually the mid-nineties,” Donaher said.

The class dives deep into different genres, songs, and artists from Nina Simone to the Beatles.

“Class time is usually split between listening to and analyzing music, watching documentary excerpts to learn more about an artist or genre, and group discussions about relating musical elements and putting the music in context,” Amanda Offsey, a senior taking the course, said.

One of the main themes of this course is how music can reveal aspects of American history and culture.

“Music is inevitably something that brings people together. American music in particular is a collision of all these different people, urban and rural and Black and White and Latino—it’s the melting pot, and the music is a result of that melting pot. It’s a celebration of what makes America exciting,” Donaher said.

Each genre found in American music has its own unique origin, shaped over the years by past trends, which students find interesting

“It’s good to know where music originated from because we hear so many different creations of music that actually stole similar back beats or even how they just replicate everything. Music gets updated in a way, but it still has the history and its past,” Clare Goohs, a senior who is taking the course, said.

By viewing history through the lens of music, students learn about historical events through perspectives that are not commonly reflected upon.

“A lot of the history classes that I took growing up and that are taught understandably focus on politics and wars and natural disasters. And that’s one piece of history, but to come at it from the point of view of music and the stories that it creates… it’s a different way to enter history,” Donaher said.

Despite its central focus on music, Donaher emphasizes how the course isn’t just designed for musicians.

“You’ll have the tools to recognize what’s going on in music, in the sense that you understand what tools the musicians are working with,” Donaher said.

Ultimately, the course offers students a fresh perspective on the meaning of the music they listen to every day.

“On the first day, Mr. Donaher wrote on the board, ‘Artists/musicians make choices, and we ask why.’ Now, while I’m listening to my favorite songs, I think about why it was created and in response to what,” Offsey said.