The Future of Music: Towards a Computational Musical Theory of Everything

237 Pages·2020·7.707 MB·English

by  Guerino Mazzola, Jason Noer, Yan Pang, Shuhui Yao, Jay Afrisando, Christopher Rochester, William Neace

Guerino Mazzola · Jason Noer 
Yan Pang · Shuhui Yao · Jay Afrisando 
Christopher Rochester · William Neace
The Future
of Music
Towards a Computational Musical
Theory of Everything
The Future of Music
Guerino Mazzola • Jason Noer (cid:129) Yan Pang (cid:129)
Shuhui Yao (cid:129) Jay Afrisando (cid:129)
Christopher Rochester (cid:129) William Neace
The Future of Music
Towards a Computational Musical Theory
of Everything
GuerinoMazzola JasonNoer
SchoolofMusic DepartmentofTheatreArts&Dance
UniversityofMinnesota UniversityofMinnesota
Minneapolis,USA Minneapolis,USA
YanPang ShuhuiYao
DepartmentofTheatreArts&Dance SchoolofMusic
UniversityofMinnesota UniversityofMinnesota
Minneapolis,USA Minneapolis,USA
JayAfrisando ChristopherRochester
SchoolofMusic SchoolofMusic
UniversityofMinnesota UniversityofMinnesota
Minneapolis,USA Minneapolis,USA
WilliamNeace
SchoolofMusic
UniversityofMinnesota
Minneapolis,USA
ISBN978-3-030-39708-1 ISBN978-3-030-39709-8 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39709-8
©SpringerNatureSwitzerlandAG2020
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DedicatedtoIda Mazzola
PhotobyGuerinoMazzola
Preface
TheideaforthisbookcamefromareadingofthetrilogyTheThree-BodyProblem,
The Dark Forest, Death’s End by the famous science fiction author Cixin Liu,
whichwasrecommendedtomebymystudentShuhuiYao. Itwaslesstheconcrete
narrativeofthese books—spreadoverthe entireuniversein time andspace—than
the very category of “science fiction” which was troubling. Science fiction deals
with futureand more or less fictitiousperspectivesof the world’s physicalreality,
togetherwithnarrativesthatinhabitthosefictions.
Itpromptedtheauthorstoaskthemselvesascreators,theorists,andperformers
ofmusicanddancewhethertherewassomethinglike“musicfiction,”anarrativein
amusicalfictitiousfuture.
While this book is inspired by a science fiction, this book’s proposed concep-
tualizationofmusicfiction isnotaboutfiction ofa musicalfuture. Instead, itis a
historicalandtheoreticalinvestigationwiththe purposeofpredictingthefutureof
music.
Westartedourinquirybythinkingabouthowmusic—insteadofscience—could
look and feel in 50years. As Guerino Mazzola was then teaching his university
course“TheMathematicalDesignofFutureMusic,”hisnextstepwastoenvisagea
projectaboutthepossiblerealmsoffuturemusic.
IntheFall2018,Mazzolathereforeofferedagraduatecourseonwritingabook
followingtheseideas. Theprecisegoalofthisprojectwastoenvisageabookthat
wouldbethefirststeptowardswhatwehavecometocalla“ComputationalMusic
TheoryofEverything”(ComMuTE).Thistitlewasborrowedfromwhatinphysics
is now the Big Science ideal for finding a theory that explains everything. This
“Theory of Everything” (ToE) would unify the four fundamental forces: electro-
magnetic, weak, strong, and gravitational. The unification of the electromagnetic
andweaktotheelectro-weakbeingthefirstbigsteptowardsToE.
We, the collaborators, who took part in this collective effort, represent diverse
experiences and contribute expertise in specialities including composition, im-
provization, and dance. This collaborative effort offers not only new directions
andperspectivesthatarisefromtheirroutineworkwithcreativitythatincludesnew
vii
viii Preface
technologies,butalso newinterpretationsofthesocialandaestheticroleofmusic
initsmulticulturalglobalvariety.
ThisbookistheresultofourcollaborationthatwasextendedtotheSpring2019
semesterandoffersabreathtakingspectrumofnewvectorsintothefutureofmusic.
In the general introduction, Chap.1, a perspective of future developmentswill be
drawnonthebasisofthebook’schapters.
Wearepleasedtoacknowledgethestrongsupportforwritingsuchademanding
treatisefromSpringer’sscienceeditorThomasHempfling.
Minneapolis,USA GuerinoMazzola
Minneapolis,USA JasonNoer
Minneapolis,USA YanPang
Minneapolis,USA ShuhuiYao
Minneapolis,USA JayAfrisando
Minneapolis,USA ChristopherRochester
Minneapolis,USA WilliamNeace
May2019
Fromlefttoright:WilliamNeace,JayAfrisando,JasonNoer,YanPang,GuerinoMazzola,Shuhui
Yao,ChristopherRochester.ImagereprintedwithkindpermissionfromtheAuthors
Contents
PartI Introduction
1 GeneralIntroduction....................................................... 3
1.1 TheCollaborativeAuthors........................................... 3
1.2 NotStateoftheArt,butMilestonestotheFuture.................. 4
1.3 OutdatedPrinciples .................................................. 4
1.3.1 ATotalReengineeringofMusic........................... 5
1.4 TheBook’sArchitectureofFutureMusicalPerspectives.......... 5
1.4.1 PartI:Introduction ......................................... 5
1.4.2 PartII:TechnologicalTools................................ 6
1.4.3 PartIII:MathematicalConcepts........................... 8
1.4.4 PartIV:CulturalExtensions ............................... 9
1.4.5 PartV:CreativeStrategies ................................. 10
1.4.6 PartVI:COMMUTE....................................... 11
2 OntologyandOniontology................................................. 13
2.1 Ontology:Where,Why,andHow................................... 13
2.2 Oniontology:Facts,Processes,andGestures....................... 14
2.3 AShortCharacterization............................................. 15
3 TheBasicFunctionsofMusic............................................. 17
3.1 SurveysofBasicFunctionsofMusic ............................... 17
3.1.1 TheoreticalApproaches.................................... 18
3.1.2 EmpiricalApproaches...................................... 18
3.1.3 TheComprehensiveEmpiricalInvestigations............. 19
3.2 MusicandtheHippocampalGateFunction......................... 20
4 HistoricityinMusic ........................................................ 23
4.1 TheSystemofMusicandItsHistory ............................... 23
4.2 Utopia................................................................. 24
4.3 MusicalAnticipation................................................. 26
ix
x Contents
5 OnlyOneRestriction: Quality............................................ 27
5.1 IntellectualPropertiesinMusic ..................................... 27
5.2 CommunicationofaMusicalMessage.............................. 28
5.3 Medium............................................................... 29
5.4 CulturalFactor/Relevance ........................................... 29
5.5 Quality................................................................ 30
PartII TechnologicalTools
6 SoftwareToolsandHardwareOptions................................... 35
6.1 CompositionandSoundSynthesis:DAWs ......................... 35
6.1.1 Recording................................................... 35
6.1.2 ProjectManaging/GeneralEditing......................... 36
6.1.3 AudioEditing............................................... 37
6.1.4 MIDIProgramming/Recording............................ 39
6.1.5 Mixing/Mastering .......................................... 40
6.2 CompositionandSoundSynthesis:AudioProgramming.......... 41
6.2.1 Object-OrientedProgrammingandItsAdvantages....... 42
6.2.2 GraphicalProgrammingLanguage........................ 43
6.2.3 Text-BasedProgrammingLanguage....................... 43
6.2.4 WhichLanguageIsBetter? ................................ 46
6.2.5 AudioProgrammingandDAW............................ 46
6.3 AnalysisandExperiment ............................................ 47
6.3.1 RhythmandMelodyCreationviaAutomata.............. 47
6.3.2 RUBATO(cid:2)ComponentsforAnalysis..................... 48
6.4 Software-Base ExperimentalMusic Theory: Rubato’s
MetroRubetteforBrahms’sSonataOp. 1 .......................... 50
6.4.1 Introduction................................................. 50
6.4.2 InnerMetricAnalysis ...................................... 51
6.4.3 InnerMetricAnalysisofPianoSonataOp. 1,
Movement1,Allegro....................................... 54
6.4.4 Conclusion.................................................. 61
6.5 Performance.......................................................... 62
6.5.1 NotePerformer.............................................. 62
6.5.2 RUBATO(cid:2) .................................................. 63
6.5.3 Melodyne ................................................... 64
6.6 Improvisation......................................................... 64
6.6.1 Nodal........................................................ 65
6.6.2 Impro-Visor................................................. 66
6.6.3 BandinaBox............................................... 67
6.7 Notation............................................................... 67
6.8 Education............................................................. 69
6.8.1 Auralia ...................................................... 69
6.8.2 Syntorial .................................................... 69
6.8.3 Counterpointer.............................................. 71
Contents xi
6.9 Hardware ............................................................. 71
6.9.1 Input......................................................... 71
6.9.2 MIDIKeyboards............................................ 72
6.9.3 AlternativeMIDIInputTools.............................. 74
6.9.4 Microphones................................................ 75
6.9.5 Output....................................................... 78
7 NewConceptsofMusicalInstruments................................... 81
7.1 TheClassificationofInstruments.................................... 81
7.1.1 Acoustic/Mechanical....................................... 81
7.1.2 Electroacoustic/Electromagnetic........................... 82
7.2 ExpansiveRealization................................................ 82
7.3 CreativeRealization.................................................. 84
8 MusicalDistributionChannels: NewNetworks......................... 87
8.1 AConceptualUnderstandingoftheEvolutionofMusic
DistributioninHistory............................................... 87
8.1.1 Pre-InternetElectronicMusicDistributionMedia:
PhonographicDisc,Cassette,andCompactDisc......... 88
8.2 PresentInternet-BasedChannels.................................... 90
8.3 Ubiquity and Omnipresence: Effects on Music
ConsumptionStyles.................................................. 92
8.4 TheGlobalVillageofMusicasReshapedbyAlgorithms ......... 93
9 BigScienceinMusic........................................................ 95
9.1 Introduction........................................................... 95
9.2 Language,ModelsandTheorems ................................... 97
9.3 ExperimentsandtheOperationalizationoftheTheory............. 99
9.3.1 DatabaseManagementSystemResearch.................. 99
9.3.2 High PerformanceCombinatoricsand New
MethodsinStatistics ....................................... 100
9.3.3 Laboratories................................................. 101
9.4 PoliticalAcceptance.................................................. 102
PartIII MathematicalConcepts
10 MathematicalMusicTheory .............................................. 105
10.1 TheMaMuThComponents.......................................... 105
10.1.1 TheLanguageinMaMuTh................................. 106
10.1.2 ModelsandTheorems...................................... 109
10.1.3 Experiments................................................. 110
10.2 TheCreativePowerofMaMuTh.................................... 110
11 Serialism: FailureofNewConceptsWithoutMusicalImpact ........ 111
11.1 PrinciplesofSerialism............................................... 111
11.2 Boulez’sConstructionandLigeti’sCritique........................ 112
11.3 GeneralizationofBoulez’sConstructionto12Instruments........ 116