[PD] Computer Music & Mathematics

Chuckk Hubbard badmuthahubbard at gmail.com
Tue Aug 1 19:51:44 CEST 2006


Although I love computers in music, I think the most important and
least talked-about aspects of music are Gestalt perception (especially
Pragnanz):
http://homepages.ius.edu/rallman/gestalt.html
and tuning mathematics:
http://www.chrysalis-foundation.org/Manuscript.htm
Western thinkers have become preoccupied with thinking of intervals as
steps to be added and subtracted rather than as ratios to be
multiplied and divided.  But the effect they have on the brain of the
listener derives from ratios, not sums.

The Gestalt principles are often forgotten by computer music
researchers (as well as all kinds of musicians).  I think it would be
quite possible to teach a computer program to account for these
grouping tendencies, and to create tension between them.

-Chuckk

On 8/1/06, Gerda Strobl <gerda.strobl at student.tugraz.at> wrote:
> Hi Steffen,
>
> I just got a book from the library that is quite new: "Mathematics and
> Music" A Diderot Mathematical Forum, G. Assayag, H. Feichtinger, J.
> Rodrigues (Editors), 2002, Springer Verlag Heidelberg).
>
> It gives a very good overview about several topics that are music, maths
> and computer music related.
> Perhaps you can find it in your university library--might give you some
> nice ideas ;-).
>
> Gerda
>
>
>
> Steffen wrote:
> > Hey Pd-List,
> >
> > Fist of all: Im sorry if this is too off-topic, i know it's on the edge.
> >
> > I'm soon gonna write the final paper/thesis, before jumping to the
> > "master" studies of mathematics. I'm not too familiar with the all
> > educational systems in the english speaking world, but it's the part of my
> > studies, that, when finished, gives me what's equal to a master degree in
> > mathematics.
> >
> > To the point: I'm hoping to find a topic that combines "computer music"
> > with mathematics, or maybe more correctly; a mathematical topic on a
> > fitting level, that has (some) relations to computer music (in a broad
> > sense).
> >
> > I'm kind of blank and lack computer music knowledge, hence i ask you lot:
> > got any ideas?
> >
> > Hope you can help. And thanks a grand.
> >
> > Oh, my minor is philosophy if that matters.
> >
> > Best, Steffen
> >
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>
>
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