Abstract (Long paper)

Keywords: Generative music, autonomous agents, performance, computer music, musical metacreation, live algorithms. 

In this paper we draw on previous research in musical metacreation (MuMe) to propose that novel creative forms are needed to propel innovation in autonomous creative musical agents. We propose the “musebot”, and the “musebot ensemble”, as one such novel form that we argue will provide new opportunities for artistic practitioners working in the MuMe field to better collaborate, evaluate work, and make meaningful contributions both creatively and technically. We give details of our specification and designs for the musebot ensemble project.

• Oliver Bown (Design Lab, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia) is a researcher, programmer and electronic music maker. His research is concerned with creative computing (the tools and programming languages that enable the production of creative outputs), computational creativity (the modeling of creative processes using software) and the social role and evolutionary origins of music. He creates and performs music as one half of the duo Icarus, and performs regularly as a laptop improviser in electronic and electroacoustic ensembles. Icarus’ 2012 album Fake Fish Distribution was released in 1000 unique digital variations, presenting a radical conception of ownership and uniqueness in digital media artefacts. In his research role he was the local co-chair of the 2013 International Conference on Computational Creativity and of the Musical Metacreation Workshop and events series.
• Benjamin Carey (Creativity and Cognition Studios, University of Technology, Sydney,  NSW, Australia) is a Sydney-based saxophonist, composer and technologist with interests in contemporary classical, interactive, improvised and electro-acoustic music. His recent research and practice incorporates equal parts improvisation, composition and the development of musical software systems. His work has been featured at numerous
  international festivals and conferences including the dBâle festival of electronic music (Basel), IRCAM Live @ La Gaité Lyrique (Paris), Vivid Live (Sydney), the Australasian Computer Music Conference (Brisbane/Auckland), the Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression (Ann Arbor/London), and the International Computer Music Conference (Perth).
• Arne Eigenfeldt is a composer of live electroacoustic music, and a researcher into intelligent generative music systems. His music has been performed around the world, and his collaborations range from Persian Tar masters to contemporary dance companies to musical robots. He is a codirector of Metacreation Lab at Simon Fraser University (Vancouver, Canada), where he is a Professor of Music and Technology.

Full text (PDF)  p. 637-644