The war deities of this generation were all sealed for no reason. They watched as their country was destroyed in front of their eyes. After a thousand years, he finally broke through the seal and began his cruel path of revenge. The eternal horn, the eternal war song, seethed with endless hot blood. Close]

There are stories where good always triumphs. There are tales in which, despite countless heroic deeds, evil refuses to be eradicated. And then there are experiences, filled with melancholy, bitterness, sacrifice, and pain, where there is no ending that could unequivocally judge a fable woven from sorrow, hope, and fear. Here, on the Great Desert, on the cursed land forgotten by the gods, in a world steeped in stagnation, where humanity is doomed to inevitable destruction, it’s hard to find words and deeds capable of shaping and changing the entire world. It’s a slow, intimate journey through a sea of suffering, a struggle for survival on a path full of thorns and sacrifices. It’s a ballad about the strength of human hearts, resilience, an endless journey, and the acceptance of the inevitability of a cruel fate. You won’t find thrilling plot twists or electrifying battles with magical artifacts here. You won’t experience romantic highs, grand gestures, humorous moments, or light-hearted interludes. This is not a saga of chivalry, a legendary epic, or a monumental odyssey about mythical heroes saving civilization from destruction. It’s simply a small, humble incident that carries a fragment of wisdom worth discovering. For some paths in life lead to unexpected dilemmas, especially when they traverse a treacherous land of death. So, dear Reader, sit down and open your heart as you turn the pages of this story. Experience the drama of wandering, the grim beauty of the journey, and perhaps you will find answers to a few important questions. All of this you must do… before the gods curse us.

This volume honors and extends the contributions of educator and scholar Dr. Michael J. Budds to the field of musicology, particularly the study of American music. As the longtime editor of two book series for the College Music Society, Budds nurtured a wide range of scholarship in American music and had a lasting impact on the field. This book brings together scholars who worked with Budds as a colleague, editor, or mentor to carry on his legacy of passionate engagement with America’s rich and varied musical heritage. Ranging through jazz, gospel, Americana, and film music to American classical, and addressing music’s social contexts and analytical structure, the research gathered here attests to the diversity of the mosaic that is American music and the numerous scholarly approaches that have been taken to the subject.