Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2004. / Vita. Includes computer program for No flower, no incense, only sound: P. 192-239. Sound tape contains 2 compositions by the composer and an improvisation by Ivan Manzanilla with the composer: No flower, no incense, only sound; excerpt of A-window; Mirrors of the past. Includes bibliographical references (p. 241).

In this paper, the mathematical theory of languages is used to investigate and develop computer systems for music analysis, composition, and performance. Four prominent research projects in the field are critically reviewed. An original grammar-type for the computer representation of music is introduced, and a computer system for music composition and performance based on that grammar is described. A user's manual for the system is provided as an appendix.

Echoes is an interactive composition for amplified chamber ensemble and computer. The entire research that led to this piece was based on the exploration of the evolution of the sound produced initially by the acoustic instruments and then interpreted by the computer. Why "Echoes"? / As a sonic phenomenon the echo has several fairly distinct dimensions. These are commonly understood to include the following: the repetition of a sound by reflection of sound waves from a surface; any repetition or imitation of words, style or ideas; the sympathetic sound response; and, in music, a soft repetition of a phrase. Note that these standard definitions include the figurative dimensions, as in the 'imitation of style or ideas.' This is no coincidence, since I am very much intrigued by the idea of a computer first imitating the actual instrument and then expanding that instrument's possibilities far beyond its timbre.

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

The Crying Wave is a twenty minute music composition for an amplified ensemble of fifteen instruments combined with a prerecorded electroacoustic audio component and live signal processing. The composition explores the use of fundamental electroacoustic music techniques such as additive, subtractive, and granular synthesis as models for the creation and manipulation of materials and structure in both the instrumental and electroacoustic aspects of the work. Two series of harmonies underlie the piece and serve as both harmonic and melodic resources. Procedures including additive/subtractive durations, palindrome and canon, the Fibonacci series, and antiphonal alternation of instrumental groups are used throughout the composition to provide structural coherence. The MIDI data processing software Max is employed to control a number of aspects of the work during performance, including playback of prerecorded electroacoustic audio segments on compact disc, changes of effects algorithms for digital signal processing modules, and the generation of a click track for synchronization. The following dissertation presents an analysis of the work in terms of the aforementioned concepts and techniques.

Thesis (D.M.A.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2004. / Printout. Includes abstract. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts, together with Still and Aesthetic differences : instrumental and musique concrète traditions. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 49-50).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF file (viewed Jan. 8, 2009). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes bibliographical references: p. 281-295.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2004. / Vita. Includes the author's English translation of the French libretto of the opera. Includes compact disc with musical examples. Includes bibliographical references (p. 405-413).

Thesis (M. S.)--Music, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009. / Committee Chair: Chordia, Parag; Committee Member: Freeman, Jason; Committee Member: Weinberg, Gil.