His first symphony was one of the first to include jazz elements. His modern mechanical style developed in the 1920s was in reaction to the sentimental styles of Strauss and the impressionists. His Airplane Sonata, a piece that employed jazz, noise and ostinato is an example of his work of this period. He worked with L‚ger and Murphy to create one of the first abstract films, using a coordination of 16 player-piano rolls for accompaniment. Synchronization proved impossible, but a version of the music was performed alone with considerable success. In 1926 he began composing in a neo-classical style and then turned to opera. His later works are more conventional in nature and contain American folktunes and popular styles. He later composed for films and became a best selling author. ~ Lynn Vought