Music composition using genetic algorithms

Abstract

Humans are born musical. Our extraordinary ability to listen, produce and appreciate musical sounds have been proved over and over again mainly by the great importance we direct towards music. Individuals have used sounds as a form of communication since primitive ages and it comes as no surprise that music - refined and structured sounds, is used to express all the emotions and experiences that are indescribable through words. Music thus reflects our state of mind and background. Being an essential element in a life, music is constantly evolving. Different genres emerge with the passage of time each having different compositional and performance techniques. Due to the inevitable effects of advances in technology, broader ways of applying these techniques have been established. The traditional image of a composer sitting next to a piano scribbling notes on musical sheets, though still valid, is gradually being overshadowed by that of a composer working on a computer using applications that either aid the compositional process or generate musical pieces. Furthermore, with the current technology, human performers can be easily replaced by existing digital musical instruments and devices. In this project we will direct our studies to music composition through the use of computerised algorithmic techniques. A detailed implementation of an application that composes Baroque music with the help of genetic algorithms will be discussed, thus basing musical composition on the natural phenomenon of evolution.