I found that paper after I’d written Kepler’s Orrery, and it really helped me understand the math and where the simulation errors were coming from.

In this system there’s a lot of room for composition: each body can have a melody attached to it, so the composer’s job is to concoct melodies that combine — effectively randomly — to make the composition. Since the motion is complex enough to be largely unpredictable, from a composer’s standpoint you have to throw out notions of tempo, rhythm (even pulse), and (to a large part) sequential melody. What’s left to work with? Randomly placed notes that tend to a harmonic structure over time.

I’d love to hear what other composers might do with it. Though I haven’t yet written up a guide about how to compose “songs” for it. If enough people bug me I’ll get on it.

Hey dude, I’m not exactly sure what you’re getting at. But I do have to take exception with your statement ” … The idea is not at all logical. It is a perpetual motion machine fantasy.”

Algorithmic composition really is not a pseudo-science. This is for real, doctoral-thesis way-above-my-head math stuff dude. I’ve only begun reading it, but this book is just mind blowing, on that subject and quite a few others: A New Kind Of Science by Stephen Wolrfram (yeah, the mathematica dude).

I’m not saying the role of the composer will be dead. I’m saying what we do as composers can (shockingly) be described quite succinctly, by mathematics.

There’s no need to feel threatened by it, I don’t think. But it is quite interesting.

Thanks for reporting it Peter.

And since it’s music, not real physics, perpetual motion is definitely possible. Until your computer crashes or the power goes out, anyway.

It is like firing a bullet into space and expecting it to change direction without the benefit of an external force.

Now, I know this particular program is not exactly comparable to self writing music, but why are so many artists trying to accomplish this?

The idea is not at all logical. It is a perpetual motion machine fantasy.
But if you can prove to me you can count to infinity, I am willing to be proven wrong.

Blessings,
Damon