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In-Depth Information
6.6.4 Cultural Embeddedness
Given the great importance of memetic agency to performance, a grand challenge
for Live Algorithms is to expand into this realm of activity, through the implementa-
tion of long-term social-musical behaviour: the development of a style over numer-
ous performances and practice, the appropriate absorption of influence, including
appropriate copying of resources such as software instruments, raw musical data
and audio samples. Social interaction can also be achieved through the development
of a reputation and authority amongst a niche of interested individuals, an aspect of
memetic agency not considered above since it involves long-term interaction with
individuals that are not themselves musical producers. Only by addressing this time
scale can we encapsulate the gamut of traits that we associate with human cre-
ativity. The emergence of software-mediated social networks makes this possibility
more tractable, as the medium through which social musical interaction takes place
becomes increasingly amenable to software-sourced agency. Software agents that
trawl the pages of on-line musical networks such as MySpace (
www.myspace.com
)
or Last.fm (
www.last.fm
)
, and distribute new musical output through their own
pages, are already at work.
4
6.6.5 A Final Note
The field is very active and many approaches are currently being followed. It is
hard to guess which direction (whether on our list or not) will ultimately provide
the biggest insights. Perhaps progress will be made with large hybrid systems that
incorporate self-organising dynamical systems, machine learning, physicality and
machine culture.
It should be stressed that the overall objective is not to imitate the practice of
human improvisation. We do not need surrogate human performers. The aim is very
different from an artificial accompaniment machine, a replacement bass player for
example (although such devices may spin-off from Live Algorithm research), since
such systems would not be capable of leadership, a fundamental property of Live
Algorithms. Rather we seek artificial improvisers that can play alongside humans
in a way that enhances our musical experience. We expect that Live Algorithms
will give us access to an alien world of computational precision and algorithmic
patterning, made accessible through the interface of real-time interaction. We also
hope that the study of artificial improvisation will provide insights on the human
activity.
Live Algorithms already enjoy an active musical life. The Live Algorithms for
Music network
5
provides a nexus for musicians, engineers and cognitive scientists.
4
For example, the
Cybraphon
:
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/07/cybraphon/
.
