Making Music With Computers

Teach Your Students How to Use Computing to Explore Powerful and Creative Ideas In the twenty-first century, computers have become indispensable in music making, distribution, performance, and consumption. Making Music with Computers: Creative Programming in Python introduces important concepts and skills necessary to generate music with computers. It interweaves computing pedagogy with musical concepts and creative activities, showing students how to integrate the creativity and design of the arts with the mathematical rigor and formality of computer science. The book provides an introduction to creative software development in the Python programming language. It uses innovative music-creation activities to illustrate introductory computer programming concepts, including data types, algorithms, operators, iteration, lists, functions, and classes. The authors also cover GUIs, event-driven programming, big data, sonification, MIDI programming, client–server programming, recursion, fractals, and complex system dynamics. Requiring minimal musical or programming experience, the text is designed for courses in introductory computer science and computing in the arts. It helps students learn computer programming in a creative context and understand how to build computer music applications. Also suitable for self-study, the book shows musicians and digital music enthusiasts how to write music software and create algorithmic music compositions. Web Resource A supplementary website (http://jythonMusic.org) provides a music library and other software resources used in the text. The music library is an extension of the jMusic library and incorporates other cross-platform programming tools. The website also offers example course and associated media resources.

Making Music with Java is an introduction to music making through software development in the Java programming language using the jMusic library. It explains musical and programming concepts in a coordinated way. The book is written for the musician who wishes to learn about Java programming and computer music concepts, and for the programmer who is interested in music and sound design with Java. It assumes little musical or programming experience and introduces topics and issues as they arise. Sections on computer music and programming are interlaced throughout, but kept separate enough so that those with experience in either area can skip ahead as required.

Focuses on the role of the computer as a generative tool for music composition. Miranda introduces a number of computer music composition techniques ranging from probabilities, formal grammars and fractals, to genetic algorithms, cellular automata and neural computation. Anyone wishing to use the computer as a companion to create music will find this book a valuable resource. As a comprehensive guide with full explanations of technical terms, it is suitable for students, professionals and enthusiasts alike. The accompanying CD-ROM contains examples, complementary tutorials and a number of composition systems for PC and Macintosh platforms, from demonstration versions of commercial programs to exciting, fully working packages developed by research centres world-wide, including Nyquist, Bol Processor, Music Sketcher, SSEYO Koan, Open Music and the IBVA brainwaves control system, among others. This book will be interesting to anyone wishing to use the computer as a companion to create music. It is a comprehensive guide, but the technical terms are explained so it is suitable for students, professionals and enthusiasts alike.

With today's technological advancement, the making of digital music is possible with just a click of the mouse. In other words, this book fuses the two worlds of computer and music; thereby adding musical creativity to the average computer user, while for the conventional musician, this remains the best cost effective and innovative approach to music making in this new millennium. This is a fully illustrative and simplified approach to rhythm programming, processing and mastering! Some of the main topics covered in this book: Fundamental principles of rhythm programming; Creating realistic and inhuman music; Creating samples and SoundFont bank modules; FruityLoops and drum notation; Music styles and their basic rhythms ; Creating groovy bass lines; Programming sampled orchestra; Real-time or automated rhythm control; Rhythm arrangement in space and in time; Creating special effects; Effective use of effects in rhythm tracks; PC troubleshooting for optimal audio performance. Furthermore, because the major areas of challenge in Computer Music include PC Mastery, Music Theory/Practical, Creativity, Sound, Audio Production and digital audio programming, this book will shed some light on them; giving the reader a clearer understanding of how to face them with high expectations of fruitful results. There are lots of books written on music and computer - separately though. This book, however, is a cutting edge in these areas; since it provides the musician with the opportunity to digitalize his creative ideas.

This innovative volume brings together under one cover a comprehensive, easily understandable overview of the computer music field, including composing, teaching, recording, arranging, and printing of music. The focus of this book is on what computer music systems are and the principles upon which they are based. Section I describes and compares the musical capabilities of dozens of computer systems, providing a general introduction to the field. Presents discussion of terminology and buzzwords, offers a tutorial on digital music techniques, and describes how the MIDI standard lets music keyboards communicate with each other and with personal computers. Section II discusses and analyzes 196 computer music programs in the areas of early childhood, music composition, ear-training, music theory, instrumental methods, music appreciation, history, terminology, sequencing, editing, printing, transcription, and music analysis.

This agenda-setting book presents state of the art research in Music and Human-Computer Interaction (also known as ‘Music Interaction’). Music Interaction research is at an exciting and formative stage. Topics discussed include interactive music systems, digital and virtual musical instruments, theories, methodologies and technologies for Music Interaction. Musical activities covered include composition, performance, improvisation, analysis, live coding, and collaborative music making. Innovative approaches to existing musical activities are explored, as well as tools that make new kinds of musical activity possible. Music and Human-Computer Interaction is stimulating reading for professionals and enthusiasts alike: researchers, musicians, interactive music system designers, music software developers, educators, and those seeking deeper involvement in music interaction. It presents the very latest research, discusses fundamental ideas, and identifies key issues and directions for future work.