daemon@bartok.Sun.COM (03/03/90)
Music-Research Digest Sat, 3 Mar 90 Volume 5 : Issue 23
Today's Topics:
CMU MIDI Toolkit for Atari ST
Electronic Music Curriculum (2 msgs)
More about Symbolic Composer
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Date: 24 Feb 90 21:57:29 GMT
From: polivka al 60047 <apolivka%trantor%trantor.harris-atd.com%logicon.arpa@mil.nosc.trout>
Subject: CMU MIDI Toolkit for Atari ST
To: music-research@uk.ac.oxford.prg
I received this and was asked to forward it to the network:
From: Brian Heywood <brianh@tcom.stc.co.uk>
Organization: STC Telecoms, London N11 1HB.
There is a Atari ST version of the CMU MIDI Toolkit, produced by the
Composers Desktop Project (CDP). CDP is a commercial undetaking by a
group of composers (originally at York University, UK).
The address of the Composer's Desktop Project (CDP) is;
CDP
11 Kilburn Road
York
YO1 4DF
tel: +44 904 623696
the CMU Toolkit costs 35.42 pounds sterling,
Brian Heywood
brianh@tcom
brianh@cix.UUCP
brianh@connect.UUCP
bjheywood@gn.UUCP
BRIANHEYWOOD (@PAN)
--
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Date: 2 Mar 90 00:34:13 GMT
From: pa2253 <pa2253%sdcc13%sdcc6@edu.ucsd>
Subject: Electronic Music curriculum
To: music-research@uk.ac.oxford.prg
In article <132393@sun.Eng.Sun.COM> music-research writes:
>Music-Research Digest Thu, 1 Mar 90 Volume 5 : Issue 21
>
>How much of the traditional music curriculum (theory, history,
>keyboard proficiency) should be maintained in an electronic and
>computer music degree?
It is important for a computer music composer to have a rapport
with compositional collegues and antecedents. The importance lies
in the potential benefit that can occur with the exchange of musical
ideas. To establish such a relationship, a computer music composer
should have a means of communicating musical ideas. The academic
community has and still highly values traditional music notation
as an avenue of musical communication. The possibilities of
computer music, however, are not bounded as stringently as the
possibilities of traditional notated music. The form and function
of instrumentation and pitch can change radically. To force a
composer to ignore these new possibilities in favor of rehashing
a hackneyed past is a grave travesty. Because computer music
affords such possibility, I find it unnecessary for composers of
computer music to adhere to rigid music history and theory
curricula. They should be required to understand basic theory
to the extent that they can communicate with their collegues but
they should be given the freedom to apply their own musical knowledge
toward personally defined musical goals. The imposition of a
theoretical agenda can distract composers in a host of different ways.
I can expand on these distractions if you have a couple days.
Christopher Penrose
penrose@do.ucsd.edu
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Date: Fri, 02 Mar 90 09:24:25 CST
From: Peter Etzkorn <C1732%bitnet.umslvma@edu.umr.umrvmb>
Subject: Electronic Music Curriculum
To: Gary Lee Nelson <fnelson@edu.oberlin.ocvaxa>
FYI and possible use. Sincerely Peter Etzkorn
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| K. Peter Etzkorn, Ph.D. |
| Professor of Sociology and Ethnomusicology |
| University of Missouri - St. Louis |
| St. Louis, MO 63121-4499 USA |
| Voice Telephone: Office: <USA> 314-553-5093; Home: <USA> 314-991-5289|
| Fax (Metro Studies): <USA> 314-553-5268
| E-mail: Bitnet: C1732@UMSLVMA |
| Internet: C1732%UMSLVMA:UMSL.EDU |
| Compuserve: 76077,313 |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Your question concerning musical education in the age of computer genera=
ted sound /composition/emission strikes a responsive chord. I have been
working on the question of the effects of music educators using loudspea=
kers for the replication of "live" music on the formation of "musical
expectations, apperceptive predispositions, musical aesthetics" of future
music educators and musical audiences. Will be happy to send you a recent
paper on this subject, if you would be interested; and, as a member of
ISME's commission on music education, will be happy to report on your
interests/concerns (as well as those that may emerge from your call for
reponses) to the Helsinki meetings come July. Cordially, Peter Etzkorn
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| K. Peter Etzkorn, Ph.D. |
| Professor of Sociology and Ethnomusicology |
| University of Missouri - St. Louis |
| St. Louis, MO 63121-4499 USA |
| Voice Telephone: Office: <USA> 314-553-5093; Home: <USA> 314-991-5289|
| Fax (Metro Studies): <USA> 314-553-5268
| E-mail: Bitnet: C1732@UMSLVMA |
| Internet: C1732%UMSLVMA:UMSL.EDU |
| Compuserve: 76077,313 |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
Acknowledge-To: <C1732@UMSLVMA>
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 3 Mar 90 0:37:22 EET
From: Pekka Tolonen <igor@fi.clinet>
Subject: More about Symbolic Composer
To: music-research@uk.ac.oxford.prg
Currently we are integrating SYMBOLIC COMPOSER with S-Geometry
3D-animation software running on the Symbolics workstation, also the
transporting to Procyon Common Lisp is on the way. The implications are enormous.
Here is some more information about the basic system.
Operation Principles
Symbolic Composer uses symbol and vector patterns to describe the
composition elements. Melodies, harmonies, velocities, lengths and
humanizing parameters are described separately for each instrument, and
they are constructed manually or with generators.
The generators fall into two categories, symbol and vector generators.
The symbol generators are based on recursive association structures and
suit in the description of self replicating organisms or simple plants.
There is also fibonacci string generator, which produces symbol strings
from seed symbols based on the fibonacci principle. Other keywords:
Symbol looping, extensive symbol processing, symbol to tonality
conversion, graphics to rhythm conversion and random symbols.
Symbol patterns can be mixed, analyzed, filtered, filled, transformed,
compressed, scaled, shifted, scrolled, repeated, looped, trimmed,
converted to velocities, transposed and mirrored. Since the operation
is symbolic, and the values are later bound to actual tonalities (note
values), these operations follow automatically the key (also enharmonics
are supported, with special transpose symbol). With these it is fair
easy to produce imitations of classical style like Bach.
The symbol generators produce (a b c e b a ...) lists, and the vector
generators produce vectors containing real numbers. Vectors can be
mixed, filtered, amplified, modulated, quantisized and converted to
symbols, and also the symbols can be converted into vectors.
It is possible to use any mathematical functions to control melodies,
harmonies, velocities, lengths (rhythmics) and humanizer.
The build in vector generators are:
Digital Synthesizer
Unlimited number of sin, ramp, triangle, square and noise generators,
which can be combined completely freely. Each oscillator has controls
of volume, frequency, modulation depth and phase angle. This module
contains also digital mixers, filters and modulators.
Hopalong Generator
This produces x y values using iterative Hopalong formula. When
the output is drawn on two dimensional plane, the figures resemble
cell structures or gothic cathedral floor plans.
Brownian Noise Generator
Generates fractual brownian noise using midpoint algorithm. Changing
the smoothness paremeter a smooth landscape can be produced, or
ugly rocky mountains.
HyperCube Generator
Generates n dimensional hypercubes at certain recursion depth.
For example a four dimensional hypercube, where each 4d corner has
been exanded as a four dimensional hypercube, the corners of which
are again expanded as a 4d cube, etc.
There is also a library system, and a method called pattern controlled
construction. The user can pick patterns from the velocity, symbol,
tonality, rhythmics libraries using another pattern as a controlled, how
the elements are picked. So you can use recursive symbol pattern as a
meta level controller of another pattern (and use this again in the next phase).
The library system comes with extensive drum bank of symbolic drum
patterns, which can be used as they are, or filtered, mixed... This
makes it possible to construct artificial players, for example a slave
synth, which follows bass and snare scores. It's melody can be made from
fractals, manually, or taking the symbols from other instrument, or anything.
All operations of Symbolic Composer can be mixed freely, making it
possible to implement any type of music. The library is user expandable, too.
How about importing some hand played material into Symbolic Composer?
This is possible with analyzer. It reads midifiles and converts them to
symbol patterns, so you can save them into libraries, or expand them
into fractals with symbol processing system.
The price of Symbolic Composer is $495. I could make it $395 for you,
since the manual is currently at the proof reading phase, and takes some
time to complish. So there can be some misspellings and orphan rows etc.
By the way, fractal music makes strange dreams...
__________________________________________________________________________
Pekka Tolonen Algorithmic Research
igor@clinet.FI Fredrik. 26 D 40
phone: +358 0 612 1302 00120 HELSINKI FINLAND
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End of Music-Research Digest