Computers and Music
Chapter 4 of Artful Design was such a refreshing take on computers and programming. It was interesting learn more about the background and history of computer music. One aspect that surprised me in this chapter was how many computer music languages exist. There is the page with the images and brief descriptions of the various languages, and while there is a variety of use cases for them, it seems many of them are directed for the purpose of live coding. This speaks to the tendency of human nature to create and highlights the first principle of the chapter: Programming is a Creative Endeavor (Principle 4.1).
In my experience, programming is not typically tied with music or the arts. The fact that programming might have stemmed from needs such as using an algorithm to compute Bernoulli numbers and is now being used for live coding music experiences is fascinating to me. That calls to mind the creative endeavors ongoing in programming in other areas such as AI and music or AI and art. Currently, there is a lot of interesting work and discussion going on in these areas. At times, it can be quite contentious with many debates about the true originality or creativity of AI generated works. For example, with AI and art, there are algorithms that will try to match a specific art style and generate a new image or artwork from it. With AI and music, there are algorithms that will generate new music. The current works, especially in music, are not mature yet, but I am quite optimistic and excited to see what the future of these areas could look like.
An AI generated portrait
Although AI and the creative arts may be a relatively new field, computers and the creative arts is not anything new. As mentioned in the chapter, even in the 1800s and throughout the 1900s, computers and music were quite linked. People now just have new tools of working with music. I think it’s interesting that no matter the era or the technology, people somehow find a way to add in creative aspects whether it is with music or design. Principle 4.5 states “design things with a computer that would not be possible without” and with respect to music and sound, I think that’s very fitting. It seems to be part of human nature to want to create and explore, and computers provide the perfect medium to do some pretty crazy and unreal things. Whether it’s with algorithmic music, live coding performances, or AI generated music, computers and programming provide a powerful tool to create and make music.