In every other century in history, music and composers have followed society's technological advances. When the piano was invented, it was used and composed for. When the valve horn was developed, it was used and composed for. When percussion was developed, it was used and composed for. In the late 20th century however, "classical music" stopped developing along with these technologies. As electronics were invented, they were mostly ignored by classical composers/musicians while the rest of the musical world embraced them. As recording techniques were developed, they were mostly ignored by classical composers/musicians while the rest of the musical world embraced them. Most importantly for me, when the electric guitar was developed it was almost ENTIRELY ignored by classical composers and performers while the rest of the musical world embraced it. There are so many composers who I know grow up listening to pop music or jazz and then at some point they are brainwashed into thinking they have to write for traditional instruments the way their heroes did. There are a few who dare to write for non- "classical" instruments - even though these instruments represent the world today just as the piano represented the world of Beethoven. Think about it for a second- How many compositions do you know which are written for rock or pop group? Electric Keyboards? Turntables? Electric Guitars? Very very few and yet - isn't musical history going to show that these were the important instrumental developments of the late 20th century?