More than ever, today's America is diverse beyond anyone's wildest dreams, and the music that resonates in families and neighborhoods, on concert stages, in schools, dance halls, and clubs, and through the media is as wide a variety as exists anywhere in the world. America's music is decidedly difficult to pin down as a single and united style, as it is too complex, too dynamic and changing, too much a result of the fusion of many styles and sonic elements to establish with certainty as "the American sound." In this article, the authors present the lives and music of three musicians who have been honored and celebrated by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for their artistic contributions to American musical life. These musicians are Chum Ngek, Gerald "Subiyay" Miller, and Mavis Staples. The authors also present several lesson plans for teaching diversified American music. (Contains 6 notes.)