The first book to concentrate on the rebellious trend within American music at the turn of the 20th century. Their pioneering flair was an act of defiance: Americans throwing off the shackles of European tradition and inventing a new language, seeking to redefine what could or could not be embraced by the term music . American Pioneers examines Charles Ives, Henry Cowell, John Cage, Carl Ruggles, Edgard Varese, Harry Patch, Colin McPhee and Lou Harrison, focusing on the peculiarly American quality of their artistic motivation.