The philosophy of the second edition of Music! Its Role and Importance in Our Lives is a sociological approach to the study of music. It contains history but is not a historical approach. There are nine units, with a total of 27 chapters. It is activity-based with over 450 activities. This edition fully incorporates the National Standards for Arts Education. More media and technology are added to create dynamic links with the other performing arts, and to create a variety of ways to promote composition, arrangement, and understanding of music.