Spring 2000:

Music 120: Interactive Computer Music

Instructor:

Jonathan Berger email: brg@ccrma.stanford.edu

TA:

Matthew Burtner email: mburtner@ccrma.stanford.edu

Web resources: "http://www-ccrma.stanford.edu/CCRMA/Courses/120/"

News
March 30:	The class list can be used for discussions and general questions. The address is: "120@ccrma.stanford.edu"
April 1:	The deadline for homework #1 is extended until Wednesday, 4/5/00. Homework #2 will be due on Monday, 4/10/00.
April 5: April 10: April 12:	CCRMA account forms will be issued in class on Monday, 4/5/00. Eveyone needs to have a CCRMA email account and check email. No door codes can be given without an account. Homework #3 is out! It will be due on Monday, 4/17/00. See below for details Two new Max/MSP workstations have arrived and will be installed this week. They will be located in Studio E and the Classroom Annex.

Course Overview

Music 120 will explore new approaches to interaction and improvisation between composer, performer, and computer. Topics to be discussed include performance interaction strategies (techniques of synchronization, timing, cueing, and parametric control), interactive algorithms, simulating live performance situations, tempo tracking, pitch following, and performance modeling.

Hands on participation will use the Max programming environment with MIDI and signal processing capabilities. Various interactive MIDI control devices will be used, including the Mathews-Boie Radio Baton, Lightening, and the Disklavier.

Virtual Instruments
sensors and controllers
Max/MSP

Virtual Composer
    algorithmic composition
    sequential and non-sequential structures
    music representation

Virtual Performer
    performance tracking
        score following
        pitch detection
        gesture tracking
    improvisational models - minimax
    determinacy and indeterminacy
    conducting and chamber ensemble simulations - static and dynamic managerial roles

Virtual Listener
learning and interpreting

Resources

Max: located in the Ballroom, Studio E, both Classroom Macs, and Studio C

Max with MSP: the Ballroom, Studio C, and one of the Classroom Macs work with MSP signal processing

Mathews Radio Baton: We have four new batons for use in this class.

Buchla Lightening: Will be installed in Studio E

Disklavier: Disklaviers can be used with Max in the Ballroom and in Studio C

Synths and samplers: Each machine has at least one synth. Studio C and Studio E have a variety

Misc. controllers: CCRMA has many homegrown alternate controllers. We will see many this quarter.

Homeworks

Homework #1: due Wednesday, 4/5/00
Canonic Imitation -- Create a patch that takes a monophonic stream of incoming MIDI notes as a real time Dux and creates a canonic Comes at a user-defined time interval and transposition level. If this is entirely new to you experiment with various approaches to user input (sliders, knobs, keyboard representation, mouse, other). If you are seasoned see if you can avoid illegal intervals (consecutive 5ths and octaves) and 'correct' the comes.

Homework #2: due Monday, 4/10/00
Automatic Accompaniment -- Create a patch that takes a monophonic stream of incoming MIDI notes and adds harmony. Use sub patches to create harmonic objects (given constraints of diatony, mode, a-priori knowledge of key, voice leading liberties, etc). If this is entirely new to you think of how to best represent chords. If you are seasoned see how intelligent you can make your accompanist.

Homework #3: due Monday 4/17/00
Write a Max/MSP patch that "listens" to performer input and responds in some musically interesting way. This can be an extension of your previous work with MIDI canons, but it should involve using MIDI to control audio or audio to control MIDI. If it receives MIDI data from the performer, the patch needs to use that information to control some audio synthesis technique. If you use the adc~ object, the input audio from the performer should control some aspect of MIDI.

Administrative Information

Music 120 meets Mondays and Wednesdays 10 - 11:30am in the Ballroom at CCRMA.

Homeworks, Projects, and Analysis: Regular assignments will be given from weeks 1 through 5. After mid-term, concentration will be placed on realizing a term project. In addition, there will be an analysis of an interactive piece of music (TBA) in terms of interaction strategies.

Course Format: The in-class time will be used for lectures, communal coding, analytical listening, and guest presentations and demos.

Grading:
    attendance (70%)
    assignments (15%)
    project (15%)

Mailing list: We have a mailing list available for discussions and general questions to the class. The address is "120@ccrma.stanford.edu".