Can Rhythm Be Created Without Traditional Percussion?

Rhythm is often associated with drums.

Generative composition encourages a broader perspective.

A rhythm exists whenever sonic events occur in time.… read more

How Do You Morph Between Different Rhythms Without Changing the Melody?

Generative rhythm does not always require creating new patterns. Sometimes the most effective strategy is gradually moving between existing rhythms.

How Can Pitch Control Other Musical Parameters in Generative Music?

Most modular patches treat pitch as an isolated parameter. A note is generated, and other aspects of the sound behave independently. Generative composition offers another… read more

Why Does Generative Music Need Stable Elements?

Generative music often contains a huge number of small changes.

Without points of stability, listeners can easily lose their sense of orientation.

How Can Modulation Networks Create Musical Relationships?

One of the most powerful ideas in generative composition is creating relationships between parameters that would otherwise be independent.

This is where modulation networks… read more

How Do You Repeat Musical Ideas When Everything Is Random?

Traditional composition relies heavily on repetition and variation.

Generative music raises an interesting question:

How can something be repeated when… read more

Should Generative Music Use Melodies or Random Pitches?

One of the most characteristic contrasts in generative music is the opposition between recognizable melody and random pitch movement.

Unlike traditional composition, both… read more

Can Generative Music Be Combined with Field Recordings?

One particularly effective way of creating contrast is combining generative processes with pre-recorded audio.

This idea has roots in musique concrète and… read more

How Do You Create Contrast in Generative Music?

Contrast is one of the oldest compositional tools in music. Long before modular synthesis, composers created interest by placing opposing musical ideas next to one another.

Generative music is no… read more

Should a Composer Intervene During a Generative Performance?

Every generative musician eventually faces a philosophical question:

Should the system run entirely on its own?

Or should the composer intervene?