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American Composer Face-Off

From Broadway musicals to hip-hop, from ragtime to rock and roll-American music comes in many forms, but there's a quality to each one that is distinctly American.

This Independence Day, we want to know which classical composers speak most to your inner patriot.

Do Copland's orchestral landscapes remind you of the country's natural beauty? Do Gershwin's jazzy melodies bring to mind the nation's storied musical past? Maybe Sousa marches and the grand ceremonies they evoke have a special meaning for you, or perhaps you are fascinated by the slightly bizarre music of Charles Ives.

Vote for your favorite. If you like, leave a comment explaining what makes that composer's music so American. Or, if none of the composers got your vote, let us know who you're listening to this Fourth of July.

You can hear Baltimore Symphony director Marin Alsop's thoughts on the subject at NPR's Deceptive Cadence.

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