In this essay, I derive a model of a peaceful society where diverse people live together in harmony by analyzing the process of the popularization of contemporary music. First, I introduce the American composer Frederick Rzewski and his masterpiece “The People United Will Never Be Defeated!” Second, I examine English composer Cornelius Cardew and one of his final pieces, “Boolavogue.” Third, I discuss Japanese composer Yuji Takahashi and his musical band “Suigyu Gakudan,” and lastly, I consider the work of Japanese composer Makoto Nomura and his composition method called “Shogi sakkyoku” (Shogi composition). Rzewski, Cardew, and Takahashi are/were politically leftists and composed and/or played political music based on folk music as well as protest songs, whereas Nomuraʼs works are not political. All four composers allowed nonprofessional artists to participate in the composition and performance process.

These artists attempted to simplify highly complicated Western contemporary music and make it more accessible to a mass audience, particularly the working classes. Their works expressed the following ideas on how to create a peaceful society: (a) the main actors who build social fields are non-professional citizens rather than professionals; (b) citizens need simple and fair rules and principles; (c) new social orders should take into account traditional cultures and people’s everyday behavior; and (d) physical expressions and behavioral practices should sometimes take precedence over languages, ideals, or ideology.

Recently, the role of non-professional citizens has been a focus in jurisprudence and political science. Contemporary music could serve as an abundant intellectual resource for other social fields.