The purpose of this study was to explore the compositional processes of nine-year-old children using a microprocessor computer. Ten children were divided in two groups and were asked to compose a melody by arranging musical blocks. Children in the first group were given pre-composed blocks of Mozart's piano sonatas. Children in the second group were asked to compose their own blocks. Bamberger's computer program, Tuneblocks, was adapted for a use on a Macintosh microcomputer with French-speaking children. / Results revealed that type of task does not affect the process-product orientation adopted by children. Pedagogical implications explore the findings in terms of practical applications of both approaches.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2009. / Title from 1st page of PDF file (viewed Feb. 9, 2010). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes sound files of examples in 44K stereo. and 96K formats. Includes bibliographical references: P. 143.

Software development for both compositional systems and computer graphics has been extensive in the computer music field. Compositional systems employ different techniques in supporting the global strategies of composers, and they require alphanumeric input. Programs in computer graphics have been concerned primarily with the representation of common music notation. A System for Interactive Music Composition Through Computer Graphics was developed to provide a composer with an interactive, compositional, graphics environment.Musical constructs are not depicted in the system through common music notation, but through line-segment graphs. Since music is a temporal art, any musical parameter can be represented as a function of time. The process of visually/aurally perceiving structure is enhanced by using graphs instead of strings or tables of numbers as traditionally used in computer music. There are also no notational restrictions on frequency and rhythm like those encountered with common music notation. The system provides a way for the composer to organize the large amount of data needed in computer music composition.There are visual transformations in computer graphics which correlate to aural transformations in music. Algorithms for translation, scaling, and rotation support the musical transformations of transposition, augmentation, diminution, inversion, retrograde, and retrograde-inversion. The windowing algorithm is used throughout the system for inserting and extracting structures. This algorithm is also used in editing a portion of a structure in which that section is displayed on the graph for a finer level of detail. Structures can be created through entering points interactively, generating transformations of an existing structure, realizing a statistical distribution, or extracting a section from an existing structure. Editing possibilities include inserting or deleting points, lines, and curves, inserting one structure within another, or generating transformations of one structure within each line segment of another. These options help make the system both efficient and flexible.When the composer becomes familiar with the system, a large amount of data can be generated in a short time. It is a very powerful tool for organizing and manipulating musical constructs. The system can be used with relative ease by beginning as well as advanced composers.

The purpose of this project was to develop computer programs for use in a hybrid system for electronic music synthesis. The system consists of a D17B Minuteman computer and an Arp 2500 synthesizer. The programs enable a user to create control signals with the D17B for use in any Arp patch.Up to 511 distinct voltage events may be specified. A voltage event is defined as a discrete voltage or as a continuous (ramp) voltage during a specified duration period. A discrete voltage remains constant over the duration. A continuous voltage changes linearly over the duration period. A voltage event is defined in the range of 0 to +10 Volts. An event duration is defined in the range of zero to thirty seconds in any increment of one-tenth of a second.The project was achieved in three steps. First, the user inputs data to the D17B memory describing the voltage events. Next, a program is executed to convert the data to a form usable by the computer. Third, a program is executed which outputs two control signals. One control signal outputs the voltage event; it is used with any voltage-controlled device on the Arp. A pulse signal is output for each voltage event; it is used as a gate for an envelope generator.This hybrid system expands the capabilities of the Arp. It may be used in place of the Arp sequencer to create longer sequences of control signals. The programs give the user exact control over the voltage value and duration of each voltage event. / School of Music

Thesis (M.S.)--Villanova University, 2008. / Computer Science Dept. Includes bibliographical references.

No description available.

published_or_final_version / Humanities / Master / Master of Philosophy

Computer Simulacra is a musical work composed for amplified instrumental ensemble and computer instruments on tape. It is a computer-assisted work, composed with the help of a stochastic compositional algorithm, called PTERIO, designed by the composer.

The past half-decade has seen progress in methodology and reusable components available to designers of music authoring tools. This thesis examines currently prevalent architectures for music making software and applies currently available technical means to update design methodology and architectural patterns for the next-generation of tools. It aims to map the various categories of advances and the manner in which they relate to each other, to the problem of building these tools. The focus is on conceptualization. The thesis aims to understand, from historical perspectives, as well as from perspectives provided by other domains, the fundamental problems encountered in the process of designing authoring tools. / Issues examined include building rich visual and interactive interfaces for authoring, the use of multiple notations and formalisms to describe multiple aspects of musical structure, end-user extensibility and end-user script ability. The results of design experiments implementing core ideas are documented, and the manner in which the ideas from these prototypes may be applied to the construction of real-world tools is discussed. As far as possible, the thesis investigates existing tools, frameworks, design ideas, and architectural possibilities that scale. In conclusion, the manner in which the investigation relates to the future of authoring tools, and to problems faced by contemporary artists and tool-makers is discussed.