Assaf Talmudi - The Way Sounds Makes Up Their Minds - An open computer music installation

Thinking about the threefold relation between brain mind and sound, one is initially tempted by the cognitive model in which the brain, acting as a mind, is controlling sound. The following experiment shows the alternative model in which sound assumes a more significant computational role in the synthesis of musical structure. In this experiment a very simple digital brain is interacting with a more complex sound generating mechanism to form a local, temporary, musical mind.

The mechanical piano is controlled by software written by the artist, simulating a simple artificial neural net whose input is the sound omitted by the piano. The computer has no musical memory, nor it contains any predefined sequences, and it simply responding to the acoustic input. However, due to the moderate non-linearity of the mechanical system, and due to the relatively large time scale in which piano sounds are taking place, the whole system generates a perpetually changing and surprisingly rich musical result. The non-linearity is gradually increased and shaped by the user, as she can add parts and create different behaviors.

In a future project, this piece will be a part of a whole room filled with computer music devices exploring the generative musical power of non-linear dynamic systems.

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