Computer Music Techniques
ALGORITHMIC COMPOSITION
Selected Research Topic
Korean National University of Arts
Fall 2003
Professor Christopher Dobrian
Readings
Seminar Discussions
Programming Projects
Final Programming/Composition Project
Study of historical and experimental approaches to formalizing the compositional process, including statistical probability, mathematical formulae, computer programming paradigms, sonification of non-musical data, artificial intelligence, learning systems, and interactive systems.
Course Outline
- Why algorithmic composition?
- Formalizing the compositional process
- Sonifying a formal process
- The matter of taste: intuition, system, and the arbitrary
- Pre-computer examples of algorithmic composition
- Mozart "Musical Dice Game"
- Webern Op. 27, mvt. II
- Lucier, I am sitting in a room
- Reich, Pendulum Music
- Cage, Music of Changes
- Nancarrow, Study 21
- What is "the beat"? Where is it?
- Determinants of "beat" in sound
- Systematic choice of pitch
- The formalization of harmonic practice
- The role of pitch in computer music
- Mapping
- Linear
- Exponential and logarithmic
- Non-linear formulae
- Table lookup
- Sieves and interpolation
- Mapping more than one dimension to one parameter
- Mapping one dimension to more than one parameter ("cross-coupling")
- Randomness
- What is random?
- Pseudo-randomness, complexity, and comprehension
- Random sieves
- Constrained randomness
- Random walk
- Weighted randomness
- Relation of randomness to "noise" (at many levels of meaning)
- Probability
- What is probability?
- Meyer on probability in music
- Moles on information theory
- Entropy and predictability
- Markov processes
- Artificial Intelligence
- Heuristics
- Game theory
- Learning systems
- Neural networks
- Genetic algorithms
- Fuzzy logic, fuzzy math
- Sonification of mathematical and logical formulae
- Iterative functions and recursive functions
- Emergent systems and artificial life
- Mathematical and serial approaches to tempo and rhythm
- Polyrhythm
- Time-point approaches
- Metric modulation
- Periodicity and tempo
- The meaning of "form" in the 21st century
- Formal levels
- Open form
- Generative grammar
- Form and content (abstraction and representation)
- Emergent form
- The relationship of sight and sound
- Graphic representations of sound
- Perception of symmetry and balance
- Issues of cognition, creativity, and interactivity in realtime composition
Discussions and presentations of final projects