Would You Just as Soon Sing as Make That Noise!? (1983) is a celebration of rituals and cultures, both ancient and modern; a kaleidoscope of peoples who find themselves forced to coexist, to step on each other's toes, to clash and, eventually, to resemble one another. The title of is from the poem "The People, Yes" by Carl Sandburg. The piece is dedicated to Elon Berger, born January 28, 1983, as a way of saying good luck and welcome to a world where there are five hundred ways of saying "Who are you?" of asking, "Where do we go from here?" and of saying, "Being born is only the beginning."

The piece is in the form of a double concerto for violin, mandolin and small orchestra. It was commissioned by the Mostly Modern Orchestra and premiered by Laurie Steele. It has also been performed by the Brooklyn Philharmonic under Lukas Foss.