Cocomposer: A Generative Approach to Electronic Music
Author:
Jackson Greninger ’27Co-Authors:
Faculty Mentor(s):
Todd Schmid, Computer ScienceFunding Source:
College of EngineeringAbstract
The rapid advancement of hardware and software technologies over the past few decades has significantly influenced the evolution of electronic music, empowering producers to leverage these tools in crafting innovative rhythms, sounds, and patterns. Visual programming languages like Max/MSP have been utilized to create algorithmically generated sprawls that challenge the conventions of rhythm and structure to redefine the definition of music. In this context, this paper introduces Cocomposer, a novel framework and algorithm designed to facilitate the generation of non-deterministic electronic music that diverges from conventional music production paradigms. At its core, Cocomposer utilizes a state-based machine to schedule musical events, enabling users to generate MIDI notes through state transitions defined by the user. These transitions are constructed entirely from scratch, utilizing traditional MIDI note parameters while remaining fully mutable, offering real-time flexibility for the user. By assigning probabilities to state transitions, the framework allows for dynamic progressions from one state to another, accompanied by the playback of user-specified notes. This probabilistic approach creates generated music with an organic and algorithmic quality, as the output evolves in a manner that is both unpredictable and influenced by the user-defined parameters. Consequently, Cocomposer represents a significant step forward in the realm of algorithmic music composition, bridging the gap between structured creativity and emergent musical expression.