The creative project was twofold: Firstly, a large high speed DEC-10 interactive computer, located at Ball State University, was programmed, using FORTRAN language. The program is to be used by music students in real-time, on-line interactive classroom situations via a special teletype terminal located in the classroom. Secondly, a D17B mini-computer, located in the Electronic Music Systems Studio at Ball State University, was programmed using quasi-octal machine language for on-line, real-time interaction in conjunction with the ARP-2500 music synthesizer located in the same studio. This capability provides an adjunct to other compositional tools already available to the composer in this studio.The principal thrust of the software programs in both of these contexts was the on-line and automatic manipulation, handling, editing and control of pitch sets during interactive conversation with a computer via teletype or synthesizer keyboard. / School of Music

This dissertation traces the history and development of algorithms in musical composition from ca. 1957 to 1993 and attempts to clarify related terminology from the contexts of computer science, information science, and music theory and composition.The first of three sections begins with an extensive definition of the term algorithm. Because this term is relatively new to musical vocabulary, the definition appearing in this dissertation will include both musical and non-musical applications.Historically and currently, there are three major approaches to algorithmic composition with computers: 1) algorithms for sound synthesis; 2) algorithms for compositional structure; and 3) algorithms for the correlation of sound synthesis with structure. Consideration will be given to the latter two approaches, algorithms for the generation of the micro- and macrostructural elements of musical composition.Several different processes exist under the umbrella of algorithmic composition. Included in the body of this dissertation are detailed explanations and descriptions of specific software and hardware from the following processes: stochastic, chaotic, rule-based, grammars, and artificial intelligence.Second, an historical survey of musical compositions and related written literature covering musical and non-musical resources organized into three chapters: 1957-1972, 1973-1982, and 1983-1993. These compositions and written resources have had significant impact on determining how subsequent composers made use of computers for composition.In the third section an annotated study of the algorithmic compositions from ca. 1957-1993 will be presented. Special emphasis has been placed on information garnered from personal correspondence and interviews.Five appendices are devoted to relevant cross-disciplinary information from the fields of computer science, information science, and music theory and composition; included are: 1) a list of terms; 2) an alphabetical listing of algorithmic compositions; 3) a discography; 4) a bibliography of relevant information from the disciplines discussed; and 5) a list of algorithmic computer systems, languages, and programs covered in this research. There is significant overlap in the use of computer algorithms by the scientific and the musical communities, therefore, the inclusion of definitions and terminology is necessary for a deeper understanding of the musical applications. / School of Music

This study will prove the fact that computers provide unprecedented opportunities to create music. Several distinct levels of computer participation can exist in the creative process. The lowest level, involving record-keeping functions, results in programs that serve as compositional aids. The intermediate level incorporates stochastic (literally "random") processes on a limited basis, and represents the midpoint between computer-assisted and computercomposed works. The highest level focuses on the design of algorithms that result in compositions determined in most of their details by stochastic processes and computer decision making. Although there is no clear dividing line between levels of computer/composer interaction, it is possible to characterize the degree to which the computer has provided outcomes for a given work, from low-level random generation of pitches to high-level Markovian chain distributions. / Department of Computer Science

Thesis (M.S.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1991. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 220-228).

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 161-163) Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2010. / Title from 1st page of PDF file (viewed Mar. 9, 2010). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes 3 compact discs containing audio examples for the dissertation. Includes bibliographical references: P. 137-142.

No description available.

Computers are used in the music field for generation of sound, for composing music, for analysis of music, and for musicological applications, such as cataloguing a bibliography of music literature. These areas are relatively new aspects of computer usage, and research is being conducted to stay abreast of current technological advancements. Avant-garde composers are challenged by new advances in music. Computer-generated music is one of the new trends, but the composer is usually limited in the use of the medium for two reasons: there are no computers to which he may have access, and/or there is not enough knowledge about computer-generated music. The composer sometimes feels that he must have vast knowledge of the computer before he can attempt to use it in musical composition; however, a limited amount of investigation of computer-generated music has shown that methods can be codified to the point where great technical knowledge is not required of the composer.

Laptop performance---performance on a standard computer system without novel controllers, usually by a solo musician---is an increasingly common mode of live computer music. Its novelty is diminishing, however, and it is frequently described as being uninteresting. Laptop performance often lacks the sense of effort and active creation that we typically expect from live music, and exhibits little perceivable connection between the performer's actions and the resulting sound. Performance software designs tend to constrict the flow of control between the performer and the music, often leading artists to rely on prepared control sequences. Laptop performers become "pilots" of largely computerized processes, detracting from the live experience. / This thesis project presents an alternative software interface that aims to bring a sense of active creation to laptop performance. The system prevents the use of prepared control sequences and allows the live assembly of generative musical processes. The software resembles a freehand drawing interface where strokes are interactively assembled to create looping and cascading animated figures. The on-screen animation is mapped to sound, creating corresponding audio patterns. Networks of strokes are assembled and manipulated to perform music. The system's use of freehand input infuses the music with natural human variability, and its graphical interface establishes a visible connection between the user's actions and the resulting audio. / The thesis document explores the above issues in laptop performance, which motivated this research. Typical examples of performance software are presented, illustrating the interface design patterns that contribute to this situation. The thesis software project is presented, describing its goals, design and implementation. The properties of the interface are discussed in light of the project's initial objectives. It is concluded that the system is a solid step toward a novel approach to laptop performance software.

Thesis (M. A. (CreatArts) )--Edith Cowan University, 2005. / Submitted to the Faculty of Communications and Creative Industries. Includes bibliographical references.