Since the 1890s, when Americans were beginning to develop their own traditions in classical music, composers have recognized the dilemma of creating the American sound. We'll explore how not only classical musicians, but also Broadway and Hollywood composers of different origins and ethnicities alternated in creating a sound that has been defined as evocative of these lands and its people. Aaron Copland, George Gershwin, William Grant Steel, Florence Price, Alex North, Elmer Bernstein and others will be the protagonists of this lecture, supported with audiovisuals and anecdotes.