This volume explores how modern musical styles have been shaped by and have helped define social, intellectual, and technological currents. Core Themes: The text examines the "destabilizing" impacts of military conflicts and social upheavals on music, as well as how technology has changed the boundaries between music and noise. Cultural Focus: According to the Juilliard Store, it emphasizes the role of composers and works in defining ideas of race, nation, and gender. Series Context: It is one of six volumes in the Western Music in Context series, which focuses on music as notated, performed, and heard within its broader history.