In the timely spirit of assessing the waning 20th century with an eye on the future, the contributors to this collection of essays summarise achievements of the last one-hundred years in American musical life and often speculate on its future. From the vantage points of diverse musical backgrounds, goals, disciplines, and occupations, the authors typically communicate memorable developments in their own professional lives as well as in the evolving "lives" of their particular professions. Conceived as a means of marking the Millennium by The College Music Society, the volume is like wise intended to call attention to the good works of leaders and members of that bi-national organisation since its inception in 1958.