Interactive Music Generation

As a potential project/demo work, I am looking into the area of generative music and techniques for generating music interactively. Generative Music concerns works that are totally process based. Generative works generally do not involve exact repetition and, when not resulting in a fixed composition, tend not to be identical between performances. This term is both used in conjunction with early process pieces by members of the school of minimalism (e.g., Steve Reich) and those involved with relevant digital algorithmic works.

My project would cover the most relevent ideas from the following:

- types of non-linear music and generative music including use of iteration (fractal, automata etc) and data mapping (temperature, evolution, colour)
- applications of generative music including comparison between music for film and music for computer games
- a distinction between the traditional "outside-in" approach and the generative "inside-out" approach (Gregg Jordan, founder and director of Guitar Novatory)
- composers of generative music, including Brian Eno, from the viewpoint of the musical approach and application of algorithmic processes
- Adaptive music versus generative music in terms of the horizontal (e.g. sequencing) and vertical (e.g. sample loops) re-structuring of linear (start-middle-end) and non-linear (random, semi-random) musical elements

Websites:

http://www.inmotionmagazine.com/eno1.html (Brian Eno)http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,7700,00.html (Koan)http://www.r4nd.org/help2.html (overview)
http://www.filmmusicmag.com/mmdindex.html (Music and Games articles)

I may chose an algorithm such as one based on fractals (chaos), examine its background and use in music and then produced a track using that technique with a software program. I could investigate analogous processes with visuals too. I'll see if and when I get around to looking into these ideas further.