Blog 04

French American jazz pianist Dan Tepfer is also a coder and has developed a series of algorithms so that his computer can play with him. Jazz is known for its unpredictability and improvisations, which Tepfer’s algorithms can respond to. Tepfer, however, is a strong proponent of believing that computers should not be too intelligent but rather broaden the horizons of one’s imagination. Tepfer connects his Yamaha Disklavier to his computer where his playing is understood and the algorithms and “plays” the piano as well. His album showcasing his work, Natural Machines, was released in 2018. Tepfer is currently working on bringing his ideas to the Melbourne Planetarium where his algorithm will also project moving images in the dome.