This course is intended for musical artists looking to deepen their historical understanding of music in the modern world. By considering the core ideas of new music, and surveying the various manifestations of its legacy in the present, artists will be introduced to various techniques, ideas, and processes that may inform their work. We begin with Classical music and Romanticism, proceed to its influence on Modernism and the first calls for new music, its continuation into mid-century avant-gardism, and then consider minimalism & post-minimalist music. Finally, we will survey music in the post-70s cultural turn persisting today. Class time will be devoted to discussing readings and exploring techniques for music production in the 21st century.