![[OLD FALL 2019] 15-104 • Introduction to Computing for Creative Practice](https://courses.ideate.cmu.edu/15-104/f2019/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/stop-banner.png)
Artificial intelligence researchers have made huge gains in computational creativity and there have been a number of artists that employed computational algorithm to produce albums in multiple genres, such as scored films, games and smartphone apps.
David Cope, a professor at California Santa Cruz, has been exploring the intersection of algorithms and creativity for decades and he is specialized in what he terms algorithmic composition which is essentially computer-authored music production. He writes sets of instructions that enable computers to automatically generate complete orchestral compositions. His algorithms have produced classical music ranging for single instruments arrangement all the way up to full orchestral music and it is really hard to believe that the music is composed through a computer.
I really admire this project “Bach style Prelude 29 Emmy Cope”, which he has let the computer to study the composition style of Bach. As you can hear, the final melody that the AI algorithms generate is an accurate representation of Bach’s composition style and some parts of the AI-generated music have created some unexpected beautiful melodies which is totally based on Bach’s composition techniques. The biggest advantage of the AI algorithmic music composition is perhaps “Algorithms that produce creative work have a significant benefit, then, in terms of time, energy, and money, as they reduce the wasted effort on failed ideas.” said Cope.