Stemming from his appointment as the Randolph Rothschild Guest Composer at Peabody from 1992-1993, Roger Reynolds has written a series of essays that will take the reader into the mind of a practicing composer. This book will produce meaningful discourse on how composer actually work, instead of being hidden from the public eye. Understanding the condition of music in contemporary society requires insight into how composers conduct their work, and this book will facilitate musical understanding and will be of great interest to composers, theorists, cognitive and perceptual scientists as well as the music lover. Also includes 136 musical examples.