joseph branciforte

i haven't been too active on the the forum over the last few years, but wanted to share an article series i'm doing for New Music Box during the month of october. topics include networked notation in max/msp using the bach library, generative harmony & counterpoint, realtime orchestration, and musical applications of combinatorics. 

https://nmbx.newmusicusa.org/from-the-machine-computer-algorithms-and-acoustic-music/

these are areas that have been occupying much of my time over the last year, both research-wise and in my own composition, and i'm excited to share some of the discoveries i've made along the way. lots of max-centric stuff in later posts. i'll also be speaking with a few friends: pianist/composer Dan Tepfer, composer Kenneth Kirschner, bassist/composer Florent Ghys, and Jeff Snyder of the Princeton Laptop Orchestra.

would love to hear from those of you that are using max to create non-electronic music, or those exploring the world of the bach externals for realtime notation. i'm personally really excited about the potential of using max for live notational/compositional purposes.

https://www.instagram.com/josephbranciforte

i haven't been too active on the the forum over the last few years, but wanted to share an article series i'm doing for New Music Box during the month of october. topics include networked notation in max/msp using the bach library, generative harmony & counterpoint, realtime orchestration, and musical applications of combinatorics. 

here's the first article:
https://nmbx.newmusicusa.org/from-the-machine-computer-algorithms-and-acoustic-music/

these are areas that have been occupying much of my time over the last year, both research-wise and in my own composition, and i'm excited to share some of the discoveries i've made along the way. lots of max-centric stuff in later posts. i'll also be speaking with a few friends: pianist/composer Dan Tepfer, composer Kenneth Kirschner, bassist/composer Florent Ghys, and Jeff Snyder of the Princeton Laptop Orchestra.

would love to hear from those of you that are using max to create non-electronic music, or those exploring the world of the bach externals for realtime notation. i'm personally really excited about the potential of using max for live notational/compositional purposes.

all the best-
joseph branciforte

--
http://www.josephbranciforte.com
http://www.twitter.com/josbranciforte
https://www.instagram.com/josephbranciforte

i haven't been too active on the the forum over the last few years, but wanted to share an article series i'm doing for New Music Box during

article-series-networked-musical-notation-realtime-orchestration-algorithmic-harmony-c·

you might be interested in the work I've done for Tin Men and the Telephone with the Metropole Orchestra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_ouHr9SJqE

is there any technical info about the project online?

i'd like to know more about how you're handling the notation & harmony generation.

really cool, marcel...
is there any technical info about the project online?
i'd like to know more about how you're handling the notation & harmony generation.

Hi Joseph. Not too long ago Gregory Taylor wrote a nice article here: https://cycling74.com/articles/tin-men-and-the-telephone-you-have-one-new-message

There's not much to the notation patch really, it's basically routing OSC data from an app running on the audience's phones to a bunch of nslider objects. We're in the process of updating the show right now and I'm looking into how I could use the bach library to do something more sophisticated. I've been a bit worried about crashes though - we often play for big audiences so the patches need to be super reliable. I try to keep everything as slim as possible and stick to built-in Max objects, and I've not had a chance to stress-test the bach objects.

There is definitely something exciting about using Max in this way, we've been having a heck of a good time with the musicians and audiences. Tin Men's new album will be out soon and we're really excited about how the live show is taking shape.

There's not much to the notation patch really, it's basically routing OSC data from an app running on the audience's phones to a bunch of nslider objects. We're in the process of updating the show right now and I'm looking into how I could use the bach library to do something more sophisticated. I've been a bit worried about crashes though - we often play for big audiences so the patches need to be super reliable. I try to keep everything as slim as possible and stick to built-in Max objects, and I've not had a chance to stress-test the bach objects. 

There is definitely something exciting about using Max in this way, we've been having a heck of a good time with the musicians and audiences. Tin Men's new album will be out soon and we're really excited about how the live show is taking shape. 

excellent stuff! i've used the bach objects during about a dozen chamber performance over the last few years and have never had any issues with reliability. the bach syntax does take some getting used to, but i’ve found that creating abstractions that automate the message formatting for bach.score so i can input info in more traditional forms like MIDI lists for pitch data, rhythms in lists of 0/1s, time signature, tempo, etc. is helpful. 

good luck updating the show... looking forward to seeing where you go with it.

excellent stuff! i've used the bach objects during about a dozen chamber performance over the last few years and have never had any issues with reliability. the bach syntax does take some getting used to, but i’ve found that creating abstractions that automate the message formatting for bach.score so i can input info in more traditional forms like MIDI lists for pitch data, rhythms in lists of 0/1s, time signature, tempo, etc. is helpful. 

good luck updating the show... looking forward to seeing where you go with it.

the second New Music Box article is out today:

From the Machine: Realtime Networked Notation

https://nmbx.newmusicusa.org/from-the-machine-realtime-networked-notation/

this week, i explore the possibility of creating an “interactive score”—one that can be continuously modified during performance—through the use of networked computers. this is something i long wished possible, allowing the improvisational flexibility to change musical parameters like dynamics, harmony, rhythm, and form in a synchronized way across an ensemble.

i delve into some historical background, musical applications, and technical implementation using the bach objects over a local network.

the second New Music Box article is out today:

From the Machine: Realtime Networked Notation
https://nmbx.newmusicusa.org/from-the-machine-realtime-networked-notation/ 

i delve into some historical background, musical applications, and technical implementation using the bach objects over a local network. 

my third article -- on realtime approaches to harmony and orchestration -- is out today:

https://nmbx.newmusicusa.org/from-the-machine-realtime-algorithmic-approaches-to-harmony-orchestration-and-more/

this week's post is perhaps my favorite in the series, exploring algorithmic approaches to harmony, counterpoint, and orchestration. i dive into some of my current fascinations such as creating and searching a harmonic database according to vertical and horizontal rules, the application of contrapuntal principles to generative music, and realtime approaches to orchestration.

here's an example video that demonstrates one of the generative harmony techniques on a yamaha disklavier piano:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U-E78AHmHM&feature=youtu.be

my third article -- on realtime approaches to harmony and orchestration -- is out today:

https://nmbx.newmusicusa.org/from-the-machine-realtime-algorithmic-approaches-to-harmony-orchestration-and-more/

this week's post is perhaps my favorite in the series, exploring algorithmic approaches to harmony, counterpoint, and orchestration. i dive into some of my current fascinations such as creating and searching a harmonic database according to vertical and horizontal rules, the application of contrapuntal principles to generative music, and realtime approaches to orchestration.

here's an example video that demonstrates one of the generative harmony techniques on a yamaha disklavier piano:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U-E78AHmHM&feature=youtu.be
 

article series: networked musical notation, realtime orchestration, algorithmic harmony, &c.