Gary White holds a Ph.D. in Music Composition from Michigan State University. At his retirement in 1994 he was Distinguished Professor of Music at Iowa State University, where he developed and administered the music theory curriculum and established the electronic and computer music studio. For a number of years he was also in charge of music listening courses for the general student at Iowa State. Dr. White is the composer of over fifty published musical compositions and the author of Music First! (a music fundamentals textbook) and Instrumental Arranging (a textbook for orchestration and arranging), both published by McGraw-Hill. He has been awarded the U.C. Berkeley Medal by the University of California at Berkeley, was named a National Arts Associate by Sigma Alpha Iota, and has held a MacDowell Colony Fellowship. His compositions have won many prizes and awards, including the Toon van Balkom Prize and the Shenandoah/Percussion Plus Prize.

1. Rhythm - The Lifeblood of Music
2. Pitch - The Materials of Melody
INTERLUDE I
3. Simple Meter
4. Compound Meter
INTERLUDE II
5. Introducing the Black Keys and Accidentals
6. Major Scales / Major Keys
INTERLUDE III
7. Intervals 90
8. Minor Scales
9. Chords - Looking at the Musical Background
10. The Harmonic System
INTERLUDE IV
11. Introduction to Harmonizing and Composing
Appendicies: Popular Music Chord Symbols / Guitar Chords / Electronic Keyboards / Discography / Playing a Keyboard Instrument / Answers to Selected Problems in the Assignments
Glossary / Index / Assignments

Music First! takes a hands-on approach to learning the fundamentals of music theory and basic composition. This learn-by-doing approach reinforces theoretical principles through practice and will enliven any Fundamentals course.