Klarinet Archive - Posting 001226.txt from 1998/05

From: "Jason Hsien" <jasonavhs@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] interesting article about music composition
Date: Sun, 24 May 1998 14:30:16 -0400

-----Original Message-----
From: David C. Blumberg +ADw-reedman+AEA-erols.com+AD4-

+AHw-The well-tempered computer
+AHw-Do the imitations of bach and Mozart produced by David Cope and EMI mean
we're
+AHw-going to have to redefine creativity?
+AHw-
+AHw-http://www.sjmercury.com/west/docs/composer0524.htm

Okay... I read the article. All I can say, in regards to the technological
side of it is, Wow. That is amazing that they can do that now, though I am
from the skeptical generation, today's youth generation, and I should have
realized it would come sooner or later.

But, all technological stuff aside, whatever EMI wrote, it hasn't one thing
that Larson's piece did. It hasn't a soul. All the EMI machine program
(whatever it is) did was so some analyzation of Bach's piece, compile it,
and design a similar, yet different piece in that style. Larson on the other
hand, is not a computer. He cannot do all that statistical analysis or
superhuman mathematical whatevers to find every intricate detail about
Bach's style. He saw Bach's music, let it inspire him, and he wrote a piece,
inspired by Bach, but with his own unique ideas. That's called a soul.
Whatever EMI wrote, it may be good. Heck, it may even have perfect whatever,
but it has no soul to it. That is what I enjoy about music. The emotion put
forth. The knowledge that some artist (composer) put those notes there for a
reason, because that was the exact message the artist was trying to express,
that there was some sort of emotion to the music, that there is possibly
some imperfection in the notes on the page. That's the human side of
composer written music.

Where is that on a computer? EMI may have been able to +ACI-slide right into the
book of Chopin mazurkas+ACI-, as Douglas Hofstadter stated, but there's no way
any of it's pieces would have the same feeling to it, unless folks now are
so closed that they blindly follow and welcome wherever the cold hand of
technology leads them.

Now, I apologize if I have offended anyone or made anyone who is optomistic
about EMI, and I agree, put to the right uses, it would be a fabulous tool
for learning as Craig Countryman stated in his response, but until the day I
see a computer compose a well written piece of music independantly, with his
computer emotions, inspired, but not just imitating, favorite composers,
then I'll reconsider my ideas.

jasonavhs+AEA-email.msn.com
------------------------------------
+ACI-It kind of makes you wonder why man considers himself such a big screaming
deal.+ACI-
-Hobbes, Calvin and Hobbes
+ACI-I ated the purple berries+ACE- Ohhhh.... It tastes like... burning...+ACI-
-Ralph Wiggum, The Simpsons (Das Bus)
+ACI-You're using 10+ACU- of your brain? That's way too much+ACE- Dumb is good+ACEAIg-
-Delta Morale Campaign, Brave New World
+ACI-Why does America take it's most successful companies and try to smash them
all up?+ACI-
-Douglas Adams, author of HHG on Microsoft
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