Programming For Music: Explorations in Abstraction

Creatively, algorithmic processes open up all sorts of possibilities which would be either impossible or too laborious to create by hand. This thesis is my attempt to explore the depth of the rhythm and time through algorithms accompanied by a software, Siren, which is designed for pattern sequencing.

This thesis documents an effort in attempting to develop a novel technical approach to musical composition that functions not just as a tool, but also as an extended cognition that shapes the creative process.

To this end, several ideas and design approaches derived from previous work in computer science, philosophy, music, and other disciplines are utilised to conceive of (and subsequently implement as a software application) a musical interface that is tailored towards algorithmic approaches to music composition. This thesis presents the result of that effort as well as the process of its creation. A discussion evaluating the abstractions and cognitive dimensions which inform the design and implementation of the application is also included.

Beside basic curiosity and experimentalism, there are several reasons why I wanted to adopt algorithmic methods, and this thesis will serve as a guide and a notebook towards achieving stability in music with the fusion of various concepts.