Foreword

The human desire to express and communicate has influenced computing almost as long as there have been computers. ENIAC was first turned on in 1947. The first computer music was generated in 1957.

The desire to say more with a computer has driven many advances in computer science. Ivan Sutherland invented interactive computer graphics in 1963, and his creation inspired the idea of classes in object-oriented programming. Alan Kay and Adele Goldberg described the computer as human’s first meta-medium, the first creative medium that could encompass all previous media. Their research group at Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) worked in the 1970s to answer the question, “What would a computer used for creative expression look like?” That’s what led them to invent the desktop user interface as we know it today. In a real sense, the menus and windows that we use today to access Facebook were invented in order to make the most powerful tool ever for human expression.

Making music on a computer is a natural way to learn more about mathematics, computer science, and music. Bill Manaris and Andrew Brown have created this marvelous book that will engage and inspire you to learn more about the science and art of creating music through computation. They lead us through exploration of fascinating questions. How does music draw on both mathematical patterns and randomness? How did Bach use algorithms to generate canons? How can we turn data about proteins and planets into music? What kinds of new interfaces can you create to make it easier for you and others to make music?

Bill and Andrew offer an accessible path into a wonderful world that is both as modern as your new laptop and as ancient as Plato. In that world of music and mathematics, they constructed a sandbox of computational tools. They encourage you to create, to compose music, and to play with patterns and data. They invite you to continue in the traditions of Ivan Sutherland and Alan Kay to use computing to explore powerful and creative ideas.

Mark Guzdial

Georgia Institute of Technology

July 2013