To understand our nation, you first must hear it. From imported classics to home-grown jazz and hip hop, American music has always reflected the hopes and dreams of ordinary Americans with a precision and power that no other medium can match. And there are no more instructive (or thrilling) musical selections than those in the program of San Jose Wind Symphony’s latest concert, The Heartbeat of America. This special multimedia concert features all-American works by Morton Gould, William Schuman and Ira Hearshen. As an added treat, acclaimed clarinetist Steve Sanchez will stop in to perform Scott McAllister’s moody and alluring Black Dog. Dr. Edward C. Harris conducts the “West Coast’s premier wind symphony” at McAfee Performing Arts and Lecture Center.