Knobb Music Blog http://knobb.ca Because Music IS the Universal Language Sun, 04 Apr 2010 04:22:29 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 RT @MarcusBarnes: Another Awes… http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KnobbMusicBlog/~3/gecttIIwqKQ/ http://knobb.ca/195/rt-marcusbarnes-another-awes/#comments Wed, 31 Mar 2010 20:13:27 +0000 admin http://knobb.ca/195/rt-marcusbarnes-another-awes/ RT @MarcusBarnes: Another Awesome Meal at OrganicLives with Friends: http://bit.ly/a4mIBl #video #rawfood #food #vancouver

Possibly Related Posts:


]]> http://knobb.ca/195/rt-marcusbarnes-another-awes/feed/ 0 http://knobb.ca/195/rt-marcusbarnes-another-awes/ RT @nytimesarts: Herb Ellis, J… http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KnobbMusicBlog/~3/ftVhnVEAQU4/ http://knobb.ca/196/rt-nytimesarts-herb-ellis-j/#comments Wed, 31 Mar 2010 06:33:47 +0000 admin http://knobb.ca/196/rt-nytimesarts-herb-ellis-j/ RT @nytimesarts: Herb Ellis, Jazz Guitarist, Is Dead at 88 http://nyti.ms/dwrXHn #rip #jazz #guitarist

Possibly Related Posts:


]]> http://knobb.ca/196/rt-nytimesarts-herb-ellis-j/feed/ 0 http://knobb.ca/196/rt-nytimesarts-herb-ellis-j/ Just finished drinking a layer… http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KnobbMusicBlog/~3/g8kbl_uBipw/ http://knobb.ca/197/just-finished-drinking-a-layer/#comments Wed, 31 Mar 2010 04:33:51 +0000 admin http://knobb.ca/197/just-finished-drinking-a-layer/ Just finished drinking a layered E3Live and raw organic coconut drink like: http://bit.ly/b3UgM #rawfood #organic #e3live #coconut #drink

Possibly Related Posts:

  • Sorry, no possibly related posts found


]]> http://knobb.ca/197/just-finished-drinking-a-layer/feed/ 0 http://knobb.ca/197/just-finished-drinking-a-layer/ Beautiful ‘Quiet Night’ jazz a… http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KnobbMusicBlog/~3/-P6Sfrpabag/ http://knobb.ca/198/beautiful-quiet-night-jazz-a/#comments Tue, 30 Mar 2010 03:14:32 +0000 admin http://knobb.ca/198/beautiful-quiet-night-jazz-a/ Beautiful ‘Quiet Night’ jazz album by the Geoff Peters Trio now on iTunes: http://bit.ly/d1hRbh (#follow @gpeters) #music #jazz #piano

Possibly Related Posts:


]]> http://knobb.ca/198/beautiful-quiet-night-jazz-a/feed/ 0 http://knobb.ca/198/beautiful-quiet-night-jazz-a/ RT @timoreilly: Postal workers… http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KnobbMusicBlog/~3/hdK4I-XoG1M/ http://knobb.ca/199/rt-timoreilly-postal-workers/#comments Sat, 20 Mar 2010 02:21:59 +0000 admin http://knobb.ca/199/rt-timoreilly-postal-workers/ RT @timoreilly: Postal workers in Ghana make awesome music out of what could have been a totally boring job: http://bit.ly/ai3e8A #music

Possibly Related Posts:


]]> http://knobb.ca/199/rt-timoreilly-postal-workers/feed/ 0 http://knobb.ca/199/rt-timoreilly-postal-workers/ Experiments in Musical Intelli… http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KnobbMusicBlog/~3/-1PtaokrIC4/ http://knobb.ca/200/experiments-in-musical-intelli/#comments Tue, 16 Mar 2010 04:00:03 +0000 admin http://knobb.ca/200/experiments-in-musical-intelli/ Experiments in Musical Intelligence: David Cope’s Emily Howell http://bit.ly/9qGv6A #music #computer #beautiful

Possibly Related Posts:


]]> http://knobb.ca/200/experiments-in-musical-intelli/feed/ 0 http://knobb.ca/200/experiments-in-musical-intelli/ Experiments in Musical Intelligence: David Cope’s Emily Howell http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KnobbMusicBlog/~3/vcIOyQLhsnc/ http://knobb.ca/187/experiments-in-musical-intelligence-david-cope/#comments Tue, 16 Mar 2010 03:41:44 +0000 admin http://knobb.ca/?p=187 David Cope is an “…American author, composer, scientist, and professor emeritus of music at the University of California, Santa Cruz. His primary area of research involves artificial intelligence and music”.2 I recently stumbled across an interesting article about the computer generated music by Cope which includes some interesting quotes by Douglas Hofstadter,3 a very well known cognitive scientist at Indiana University (who won the a Pulitzer prize for his remarkable book Gödel, Esher, Bach).1

That Cope has been able to create very moving music via his program Emily Howell does not surprise me one bit. I don’t want to write a whole essay on the subject here, but I think for younger people who have been engaged with computer technology for most of their lives, computers aren’t that surprising — many, myself included, view them simply as tools – that is, single use extensions of human creativity, ingenuity, and spirit. That a program can capture & then create music that is emotionally stirring is really just an expression of the fact that Cope’s program Emily Howell is an extension of his own creativity.

Anyway, a lot to think about. YouTube user macropon has been kind enough to produce a YouTube video of one of the pieces of music created by Cope via his Emily Howell program — give it a listen and you may understand what all the fuss is about. Enjoy!

You can find out more by visiting David Cope’s website, the article that appeared in the Miller-McCune magazine by Ryan Blitstein on David Cope’s work, or the Wikipedia page on David Cope.

QUESTION: Are you surprised by the beauty (or not) of the musical piece shared above that Cope created using his program Emily Howell, why or why not? Please share your thoughts in the comments section of this post.

References & Notes
  1. Triumph of the Cyborg Composer: David Cope’s software creates beautiful, original music. Why are people so angry about that? by Ryan Blitstein http://www.miller-mccune.com/culture-society/triumph-of-the-cyborg-composer-8507/ Accessed March 15, 2010.
  2. David Cope http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Cope Accessed March 15, 2010.
  3. Douglas Hofstadter’s writings are fascinating, whether you agree with all his ideas or not. You can purchase some of his books on Amazon.com. Here is a link to the faculty page for Douglas Hofstadter on the Cognitive Science Program website at Indiana University.

Possibly Related Posts:


]]> http://knobb.ca/187/experiments-in-musical-intelligence-david-cope/feed/ 1 http://knobb.ca/187/experiments-in-musical-intelligence-david-cope/ RT @MarcusBarnes: Today’s cool… http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KnobbMusicBlog/~3/vsqsUCRjT0o/ http://knobb.ca/201/rt-marcusbarnes-todays-cool/#comments Mon, 15 Mar 2010 21:23:29 +0000 admin http://knobb.ca/201/rt-marcusbarnes-todays-cool/ RT @MarcusBarnes: Today’s cool word: mondegreen http://bit.ly/cdNJIb #word #definition #cool

Possibly Related Posts:

  • Sorry, no possibly related posts found


]]> http://knobb.ca/201/rt-marcusbarnes-todays-cool/feed/ 0 http://knobb.ca/201/rt-marcusbarnes-todays-cool/ RT @MarcusBarnes: How to Make … http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KnobbMusicBlog/~3/m5oZcoC_Yc4/ http://knobb.ca/202/rt-marcusbarnes-how-to-make/#comments Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:34:45 +0000 admin http://knobb.ca/202/rt-marcusbarnes-how-to-make/ RT @MarcusBarnes: How to Make Raw Vegan Sushi (Nori Rolls) http://bit.ly/dwA9Bc #rawfood #livingfood #vegan #howto #video

Possibly Related Posts:

  • Sorry, no possibly related posts found


]]> http://knobb.ca/202/rt-marcusbarnes-how-to-make/feed/ 0 http://knobb.ca/202/rt-marcusbarnes-how-to-make/ Artist Highlight: Bop http://b… http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KnobbMusicBlog/~3/hwt42-UY57k/ http://knobb.ca/203/artist-highlight-bop-httpb/#comments Sat, 13 Mar 2010 04:54:24 +0000 admin http://knobb.ca/203/artist-highlight-bop-httpb/ Artist Highlight: Bop http://bit.ly/9M9ROU – check out his awesome new album “Clear Your Mind” from @MedSchoolMusic #music #minimal #dnb

Possibly Related Posts:


]]> http://knobb.ca/203/artist-highlight-bop-httpb/feed/ 0 http://knobb.ca/203/artist-highlight-bop-httpb/