EMPOWERING MUSICAL CREATION THROUGH MACHINES, ALGORITHMS, AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

UDC 78.01:004.8

Gennady Stolyarov II

Independent researcher
Carson City, Nevada, United States

Author's contact information: gennadystolyarovii@gmail.com

INSAM Journal of Contemporary Music, Art and Technology, Issue 2, 2019

Main Theme of the Issue: Artificial Intelligence in Music, Arts and Theory

Publisher: INSAM Institute for Contemporary Artistic Music, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Section: THE MAIN THEME

Abstract: In this paper, I describe the development of my personal research on music that transcends the limitations of human ability. I begin with an exploration of my early thoughts regarding the meaning behind the creation of a musical composition according to the creator’s intentions and how to philosophically conceptualize the creation of such music if one rejects the existence of abstract Platonic Forms. I then explore the transformation of my own creative process through the introduction of software capable of playing back music in exact accord with the inputs provided to it, while enabling the creation of music that remains intriguing to the human ear even though the performance of it may sometimes be beyond the ability of humans. Subsequently, I describe my forays into music generated by earlier algorithmic systems such as the Musikalisches Würfelspiel and narrow artificial-intelligence programs such as WolframTones and my development of variations upon artificially generated themes in essential collaboration with the systems that created them. I also discuss some of the high-profile, advanced examples of AI-human collaboration in musical creation during the contemporary era and raise possibilities for the continued role of humans in drawing out and integrating the best artificially generated musical ideas. I express the hope that the continued advancement of musical software, algorithms, and AI will amplify human creativity by narrowing and ultimately eliminating the gap between the creator’s conception of a musical idea and its practical implementation.

Keywords: algorhitmic music, artificial intelligence, composition software, creativity, digital music, human-machine collaboration, musical dice games, musical technology, philosophy of music, transhumanism

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