Machine musicianship /

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Bibliographic Details
Author / Creator:Rowe, Robert.
Imprint:Cambridge, Mass. : MIT Press, ©2001.
Description:1 online resource (x, 399 pages) : illustrations
Language:English
Subject:Artificial intelligence -- Musical applications.
Music -- Computer programs.
Real-time programming.
Computer composition (Music)
MUSIC -- Reference.
MUSIC -- Genres & Styles -- Classical.
Artificial intelligence -- Musical applications.
Computer composition (Music)
Music -- Computer programs.
Real-time programming.
Electronic books.
Electronic books.
Format: E-Resource Book
URL for this record:http://pi.lib.uchicago.edu/1001/cat/bib/11126707
Hidden Bibliographic Details
ISBN:9780262256896
0262256894
0585467129
9780585467122
9780262681490
0262681498
9786612096730
661209673X
1282096737
9781282096738
Digital file characteristics:data file
Notes:Includes bibliographical references (pages 381-392) and index.
English.
Print version record.
Summary:"Musicians begin formal training by acquiring a body of musical concepts commonly known as musicianship. These concepts underlie the musical skills of listening, performance, and composition. Like humans, computer music programs can benefit from a systematic foundation of musical knowledge. This book explores the technology of implementing musical processes such as segmentation, pattern processing, and interactive improvisation in computer programs. It shows how the resulting applications can be used to accomplish tasks ranging from the solution of simple musical problems to the live performance of interactive compositions and the design of musically responsive installations and Web sites. Machine Musicianship is both a programming tutorial and an exploration of the foundational concepts of musical analysis, performance, and composition. The theoretical foundations are derived from the fields of music theory, computer music, music cognition, and artificial intelligence. The book will be of interest to practitioners of those fields, as well as to performers and composers. The concepts are programmed using C++ and Max. The accompanying CD-ROM includes working versions of the examples, as well as source code and a hypertext document showing how the code leads to the program's musical functionality."
Other form:Print version: Rowe, Robert. Machine musicianship. Cambridge, Mass. : MIT Press, ©2001 0262182068
Review by Choice Review

Rowe (NYU) explores the development of approximately 25 musical processes with which computers can interact more intelligently with live musicians. These processes, which can be used to build a computer music program's foundation of musical knowledge, are built on three types of algorithms: symbolic algorithms, based on the representation of objects (e.g., triads, key signatures) and their manipulation; sub-symbolic algorithms, which learn behaviors from prior inputs (e.g., quantification of rhythmic pulse); and algorithms that learn to detect musically relevant segments and patterns. Rowe describes numerous compositional techniques and specific interactive systems that composers use. An accompanying CD-ROM includes several working versions of examples described, but this reviewer had trouble accessing these on any but a Mac OS9; many of the examples require the freeware program called MidiShare (Rowe provides information about obtaining this program). The CD-ROM's video and audio clips are playable on either Windows or Mac platform, but the index provided does not clearly indicate the content of these tracks. This fascinating but highly technical book requires knowledge of C++ and Max. Recommended only for graduate collections and researchers/professionals in composition, music theory, music cognition, or artificial intelligence. T. E. Buehrer Kenyon College

Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review