Passage Summary: Even if music doesn't necessarily 'improve' in quality like technology does, we definitely have a better technical understanding of how to use different sounds than people did centuries ago.

Conclusion: It is reasonable to claim that musical knowledge increases over the course of time.

Reasoning: Modern composers understand how to effectively use sounds and intervals, like the third, that were previously avoided or considered dissonant.

Analysis: The conclusion is found in the middle of the first sentence, signaled by the phrase 'there are ways in which it makes sense to talk about musical knowledge growing.' The author starts by dismissing one view (the developmental view) to clarify the specific claim they *are* supporting. The subsequent sentences about the interval of the third serve as evidence for this growth in knowledge. When identifying the conclusion, always ask: 'What is the one point the author is trying to prove with all these examples?'