The contributions of this volume formulate a counter-thesis to the autonomy-aesthetic perspective on music in a variety of forms and themes: they understand music as an object of perception that must withstand tough competition. Music is an element of the urban soundscape and has to assert itself against traffic noise, the neighbor's drill, and even the expressions of discontent from an indignant concert audience. It is part of the collage that represents our acoustic environment and often acts as a pretty but fundamentally dispensable accessory. On one hand, music is a cultural practice in itself; on the other hand, it serves as a medium and catalyst for social structuring: a projection surface that creates identity and establishes boundaries. People define their self-image through their affiliation with a group that adopts a musical genre as its own.