The whole problem can be stated quite simply by asking, 'Is there a meaning to music?' My answer would be, 'Yes.' And 'Can you state in so many words what the meaning is?' My answer to that would be, 'No'.

Outraged by the accusations many members of the musical community held up Copland's music as a banner of his patriotism. Bernstein was considered the finest conductor of Copland's works and cites Copland's "aesthetic simplicity with originality" as being his strongest and most influential traits. The open slowly changing harmonies of many of his works are archetypical of what many people consider to be the sound of American music evoking the vast American landscape and pioneer spirit.

Works in this vein include the ballets Appalachian Spring Billy the Kid and Rodeo his Fanfare for the Common Man and Third Symphony. He became a frequent guest conductor of orchestras in the US and the UK and made a series of recordings of his music primarily for Columbia Records. In his personal style Copland began to make use of tone-rows in several compositions.