CIS/COM S/ENGRI/MUSIC 165Computing in the Arts
Fall, 2004
CIS/COM S/ENGRI/MUSIC 165
Computing in the Arts
Fall, 2004
Instructors: Professor Graeme Bailey
Tentative Syllabus:
The primary technical topics will introduce and explore the applications of stochastic processes, geometries and symmetries, group actions, iterative systems, sampling, and synthesis to the four example art forms of music, poetry, two-dimensional art and interactive ‘installations’. Additionally some attention will be given, albeit abstractly, to sensor and feedback systems and to some aspects of Human Computer Interfaces relating to the creative process. Since this is a 100-level course intended partly as a tempting survey of the field, some of this will be handled in a rather matter-of-fact manner (no discussion of convergence criteria for Fourier Series!!, nor even any mathematically explicit use of calculus). Because of the helpful relative discreteness of musical notation, most initial examples will be from music and poetry, only moving to the additional richness of graphic media after the underlying ideas have been grasped fully. Somewhat related courses at peer institutions (Berkeley, Stanford, MIT, Washington, York (UK), Paris) have descriptives such as “algorithmic [art] is [art] produced through processes which are pre-determined”, “the [artist] deals more often with macro-structural principles rather than fine detail”, algorithmic techniques often form the basis of interactive works”. Success in this course will be assessed primarily by homeworks and a final project, although there will be a mid-term exam covering the fundamental concepts about 2/3 of the way through the semester in order to ensure that any follow-up courses can assume a certain core knowledge. The course has no calculus or programming pre-requisites.
| The primary areas to be addressed in the course are: | |
| Composition | - probability -
controlled randomness (Markov processes mostly) - geometry - controlled symmetry (tessellations (visual and musical), rotations/reflections, projective plane - iteration - sending and feedback - variations and metamorphoses - a homotopy of artistic elements |
| What is form? | - rules,
structure, and rule breaking - understanding the context (cultural and other influences) |
| Synthesis | - simulating
extant instruments/media - modifying extant instruments/media - creating new soundscapes/visual experiences/environments - playing with the audience's/viewer's mind - formal techniques |
| Sampling | - sounds/media
(both analytical and statistical - though at a very elementary and intuitive
level) - sampling full compositions/complete artworks |
| Interfaces | - typing into
the computer! - pianolike keyboard/simulating string and wind inputs/tablets/simulating brush and palette knife inputs - the importance of tactile feedback - creating new interfaces - the CAVE |
| A putative syllabus (still subject to significant change - in particular I still need to rework the wk 8+ material from sampling/synthesis onwards to decide what should stay and what should go to avoid overwhelming the students yet give them a good taster for the area): | |
| Wk 1 | R: what is probability? |
| Wk 2 | gentle intro to
stochastic processes/Markov chains, Build a stochastic engine to generate poetry (free-form and rhyming) - use dice. basics of music notation, build a stochastic composition engine: 1) notes only (melody), 2) 'tune probabilities', 3) what makes an effective tune (cf part 6)? Very easy programming to build applications: #1: JAM* - a Java-based very basic music program |
| Wk 3 |
stochastic composition engine: 4) composing using deformable rules (write a
not-very-good fugue!), 5) keys, scales, chords and basics of harmony, 6) ‘re-tune’ probabilities thinking of harmonic leading readings on musical compositional types (blues, country, rap, western classical styles, Indian, far east, etc) |
| Wk 4 |
apply this engine to the visual arts: 1) control lines, regions, colour, 2) ‘tune’ probabilities for effect, 3) insights into human creativity, Very easy programming to build applications: #2: JAA* – a Java-based very basic art program Very quick overview and pointers to resources addressing human visual and auditory perception Homework – develop visualizations for your earlier music (cf Media Player et al) |
| Wk 5 |
further mechanisms and applications to clumps of artistic elements instead
of elementary objects: 1) geometry and symmetry in the plane, rotations and reflections - examples in music and art a ) music: Lou Harrison’s rhythmicals, melodicals and interval controls, also inversion, retrograde, etc b) art: manipulating patterns of colour and texture, Harold Cohen’s “Aaron” – the robotic artist 2) tessellations from a fundamental region - examples in music and art |
| Wk 6 |
further mechanisms: 3) deforming shapes (controlled distortion) – examples
of metamophoses in music and art 4) easy projective geometry in the plane – examples in art |
| Wk 7 | iterative processes with examples: 1) basic mathematical principles, 2) gentle targeted intro to dynamical systems, 3) building interactivity into your art (text, sound and visual) |
| Wk 8 | Sampling/synthesis: 1) sound: a) pragmatic approach to Fourier, b) granular synthesis, etc, c) overview of statistical sampling with application, |
| Wk 9 | easy programming to build applications: #3: intro to CSound as explorations in musical synthesis (or else use MAX/MSP as an easier environment) exploring new soundscapes (beyond the ‘BBC radiophonic workshop’) |
| Wk 10 | Sampling/Synthesis 2) poetry: fake Shakespeare, 3) art: sample and recompose Mondrian/Breugel, 4) discuss sampling and faking Bach/Mozart/other – illustrate with examples and discuss history |
| Wk 11 | music specific stuff: 1) more on scales and temperament, 2) tuning of ‘non-physics-ideal’ instruments (inharmonicity), 3) influences of instrument choices on musical scales and style, 4) new sounds (and cultural preconceptions) – extended discussion of ‘what is effective?’ |
| Wk 12 | art specific stuff: 1) colour and colour perception by juxtaposition, 2) colour behaviour via different media, 3) interactive installations, 4) employing sound as part of the visual art experience, 5) new art specific to the new digital medium (screens, installations, the ‘CAVE’, immersive environments) |
| Wk 13 | expanding the creative process: the role of Human Machine Interfaces as constraints or facilitators (exploring both human/computer interfaces and interfaces to musical instruments, writing media, drawing/painting media, and sculpting) |
| Wk 14 | project focus |
* these are specific programs built for the course having extremely simple interfaces.