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Music composition, an intricate blend of human creativity and emotion, presents substantial challenges when generating melodies from lyrics which hinders effective learning in neural networks and the inadequate depiction of harmonic structure that fails to encapsulate the complex relationships between lyrics and melodies. The existing methods often struggle to balance emotional depth and structural coherence, leading to compositions that lack both the intended emotional resonance and musical consistency. To overcome these issues, this research introduces a novel approach named Dual Interactive Wasserstein Fourier Acquisitive Generative Adversarial Network (DIWFA-GAN), which integrates innovative techniques like swish activation functions and the Giant Trevally Optimizer (GTO) for parameter optimization. Meanwhile, the GTO, inspired by the movement patterns of the Giant Trevally fish, provides efficient and effective parameter optimization, improving the model’s convergence speed and accuracy. Comparative analysis against recent existing models reveals superior performance for both the LMD-full MIDI and Reddit MIDI datasets, with impressive metrics including inception scores of 9.36 and 2.98, Fréchet inception distances of 35.29 and 135.54 and accuracies of 99.98% and 99.95%, respectively. The DIWFA-GAN significantly outperforms existing models in generating high-fidelity melodies, as evidenced by superior inception scores, Fréchet inception distances, and accuracies on both datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parsimony is a broad concept with applications in music theory and composition. Two sets A and B of finite cardinality n (n-sets) are in parsimonious relation if there exists a (n–1)-set C that is included in both A and B. A sequence of n-sets is parsimonious if any two successive sets in the sequence are in parsimonious relation. This work demonstrates that for any set of finite cardinality p, there exist sequences of its n-subsets (n ≤ p) that are circular, non-redundant, exhaustive and parsimonious, and it describes the corresponding algorithm. The image of such a sequence by a bijection and the retrograde sequence keep the same four properties. The consequences of these results for the pitch class (pc) subsets of cardinality n (or n-chords) of a pc set of finite cardinality p (p-tonic scale) are derived and discussed in the context of music harmony, microtonality and composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Songwriting has been used in music therapy for decades to help address trauma, alleviate depression and build confidence in both children and adults. With components that great music education models point to—composition, agency, collaboration, and means for self-expression, songwriting seems to be a useful tool for music educators as well. Yet, songwriting is rarely found in a general music educators' curriculum in a substantial way. This study investigates the stories of eight students who engaged in a robust songwriting program in their elementary school years (children aged 6–12 – referred to as middle childhood). The students share their experiences with songwriting in detail and leave us wondering why songwriting has not been incorporated as an integral part of music education curricula and how this can be changed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary professional landscapes in classical music fields are rapidly changing and younger generations of musicians are confronting their creative careers, more often than not in connection to self-employment and freelancing. This narrative inquiry investigates the pathways and livelihoods of composers in a changing professional ecosystem through interviews with 10 bigenerational composers in Finland. The analysis is presented in three "factional stories," in which the empirical material is crafted into "fictional form" by an anonymous first-person narrator. The stories depict how the secure, traditional careers of the older generation are found to be bound to traditional orchestras and ensembles, whereas the protean careers of the younger generation of composers involve passionate pathfinding amid pluralizing ecosystems, within but also beyond traditional contexts and through various collaborations. The younger composers are expanding significantly, or consciously distancing themselves from, the traditional model and values of a contemporary composer. Competition is found to be increasing and professional education described as too short and insufficient in its concentration on technique—this does not provide new understandings and skills beyond traditional composing craft needed for navigating the profession and securing livelihoods. Although similarities are found in the pathways of both composers' generations, such as strong career callings and experiences of luck, the "struggle" for a composer to find a place in society is more strongly experienced by the younger generation, for which the development of an ongoing "learner identity" is required to embrace—and not resist—such a challenge. As a whole, the study provides a new understanding of composers' pathfinding through changing ecosystems and suggests that traditional and protean music careers co-exist—even within a single person—while they can also be clearly separated from each other. The study informs higher music education programs in Western countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a system to build music in an intuitive and accessible way, with Lego bricks, is presented. The system makes use of the new powerful and cheap possibilities that technology offers for making old things in a new way. The Raspberry Pi is used to control the system and run the necessary algorithms, customized Lego bricks are used for building melodies, custom electronic designs, software pieces and 3D printed parts complete the items employed. The system designed is modular, it allows creating melodies with chords and percussion or just melodies or perform as a beatbox or a melody box. The main interaction with the system is made using Lego-type building blocks. Tests have demonstrated its versatility and ease of use, as well as its usefulness in music learning for both children and adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flow state is the mental state in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. Flow is characterized by the complete absorption in what one does, and a resulting transformation in one's sense of time. Flow is the melting together of action and consciousness; the state of finding a balance between a skill and how challenging that task is. It requires a high level of concentration and a task that matches one's skill set. Music and flow go hand in hand, as a growing body of research demonstrate that many musical activities such as music performance, music composition and music education tend to elicit high levels of flow. The present study aims to review the latest findings associated to the link between music and flow and to show the importance of this optimal state in creating excellence in music. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This research paper investigates the transformative potential of computational music analysis and artificial intelligence (AI) in advancing the field of music composition. Specifically, it explores the synergistic roles of pre-analysis and post-analysis techniques in leveraging AI-driven tools to enhance the creative process and quality of musical compositions. The study encompasses a historical overview of music composition, the evolution of computational music analysis, and contemporary AI applications. It delves into pre-analysis, focusing on its role in informing composition, and post-analysis, which evaluates and augments compositions. The paper underscores the significance of these technologies in fostering creativity while addressing challenges and ethical considerations. Through case studies, evaluations, and discussions, this research offers insights into the profound impact of computational music analysis and AI on music composition, paving the way for innovative and inclusive musical expressions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El presente ensayo propone analizar, en el marco del bicentenario de la independencia de México y Centroamérica (1821-2021), cómo la composición musical y el diseño sonoro son utilizados como herramientas publicitarias para popularizar el imaginario que los grupos hegemónicos consideran pertinentes para cada nación. En su momento requirieron de la invención de la “música nacional”, ahora necesitan “audio branding” para la “marca país” que promocionan en el mercado empresarial transnacional. El análisis propuesto se realizará a partir de los estudios sonoros decoloniales, eligiendo obras costarricenses que conservan testimonios con el fin de examinar las contradicciones de los ideales nacionalistas, así como sus repercusiones en la vida cotidiana.

An undergraduate music class was examined that incorporated the creation of students' individual original raps. Research was conducted to understand the value of studying rap and its impact upon students' education. This instrumental case study utilised students' individual raps as an art-based research component to address three research questions: 1.) How, if at all, does studying hip-hop through the creation of a rap provide a transformative experience and growth in students? 2.) How are student experiences reflected in the use of music composition through the creation of an original rap? and 3.) How does the process of creating an original rap provide insight into students' experiences? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much insect sounding is beyond the limits of typical human hearing ability. This sonic separation is exacerbated by a socialized narrative of fear and avoidance of insects in many western societies. With the use of audio technologies to expand our senses, we can embrace opportunities to get to know sensory and communicative insect sound-worlds beyond our own. Ecological sound art – sound art that has an environmentalist intent – is a tangible and accessible means of listening to these sounds. In the series Built Hidden Soundscapes, the primary author (Schonberg) composes imagined soundscapes existing solely of sounds that are beyond the limits of typical human hearing ability. In this article we introduce two compositions in this series, Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke and Pipeline Road. These compositions offer a temporary expansion of our aural senses that can increase listeners' awareness of cryptic insect existences/ecologies. We suggest that this listening practice might prompt future auralization (sounding or hearing in the mind) of insect sound for the listener. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research was to learn about the short-term residue of composing and improvising activities experienced in a woodwind lab course. Five undergraduates enrolled in a Music Learning and Teaching program in the United States shared what they retained after completion of the course and how they were thinking about composition and improvisation in relation to their future teaching. Data were generated through class observations, researcher journal entries, one-on-one interviews, and a focus group interview. Although participants found value in composition and improvisation, they still viewed these activities as supplemental to traditional large ensemble practices. In this case, I use the metaphor of sedimentary rock to analyze and present the data in a way that makes space for dialogical meaning-making between the researcher, participants, and reader. This research may be meaningful for those in charge of curricular decisions as well as applied faculty and graduate students working to incorporate composition and improvisation into preservice music teacher coursework, emphasizing the need for an integrated approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the assumption that teams are the basic unit for creativity and innovation in organizations. Through a quasi‐experiment conducted with 548 professionals participating in a training course on management, the study first examines whether individuals opt for intrinsically more creative solutions than groups in a music composition task. Secondly, it explores whether alternating between group and individual music composition has an impact on the originality of the pieces composed. The results show that individuals make more original choices than groups whatever protocol is used, confirming that individuals are better able to think outside of the box, take risks, and demonstrate the divergent thinking necessary for creativity. Moreover, individuals choose less original options when their independent work is preceded by a group composition exercise. Paradoxically, we observe that in all cases, participants are more satisfied with their group production than their individual production. We conclude with some recommendations for developing the most original and satisfactory collective solutions to complex problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Algorithmic music composition has been gaining prominence and recognition as an innovative approach to music education, providing students with opportunities to explore creativity, computational thinking, and musical knowledge. This study aims to investigate the impact of integrating algorithmic music composition in the classroom, examining its influence on student engagement, musical knowledge, and creative expression, as well as to enhance computational thinking skills. A mixed-method case study was conducted in three Basic Music Education classrooms in the north of Portugal, involving 71 participants (68 students and 3 music teachers). The results reveal: (i) both successes and challenges in integrating computational thinking concepts and practices; (ii) pedagogical benefits of integrating programming platforms, where programming concepts overlapped with music learning outcomes; and (iii) positive impact on participants' programming self-confidence and recognition of programming's importance. Integrating algorithmic music composition in the classroom positively influences student engagement, musical knowledge, and creative expression. The use of algorithmic techniques provides a novel and engaging platform for students to explore music composition, fostering their creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration skills. Educators can leverage algorithmic music composition as an effective pedagogical approach to enhance music education, allowing students to develop a deeper understanding of music theory and fostering their artistic expression. Future research should contribute to the successful integration of digital technologies in the Portuguese curriculum by further exploring the long-term effects and potential applications of algorithmic music composition in different educational contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a project, Shapes of Water, funded by the Finnish Cultural Foundation, which gave music education students the opportunity to compose children's songs about climate change with the help of artists from two fields (contemporary circus and music) and a scientist (chemistry). The article outlines the ways in which the composing project challenged students' attitudes toward composing as a method for educating children about climate change, and brings together the experiences of the artists and scientist during the project. Finally, three focus areas are presented with recommendations for a sustainable eco-socially oriented approach to music education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the process of composing educational music. As part of a research project titled Sound Connections: Composing Educational Music Canadian composers completed email interviews, responding to semi-structured questions about the process of composing educational music. Using qualitative data analysis, we sought to understand better this process and found that the composers in this study used a variety of compositional techniques at all stages of the compositional process (conceptualizing, writing, and refining) to promote the development of student musicians. Key findings included the importance of balancing skills review and challenge; the use of form, timbre, and harmony for the development of communication and listening skills specific to the ensemble context; the use of elements from various musical styles to support music appreciation; and the encouragement of student collaboration in the creative process of composition. An unexpected finding was the importance of composer collaboration with teachers and students in the composing process. The knowledge gained in this study adds to the literature on this under-researched topic, and may help composers, student composers, and composition teachers develop a better understanding of and appreciation for educational music, thereby encouraging educational music composition. In addition, the findings of this study may assist teachers in the difficult task of choosing educational music for their students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to find a new way to process repetition in musical composition with the least common multiple (LCM) mathematical approach. Music and mathematics have a very close relationship; in music, the element of mathematics with the derivation of physical science is the most relevant and always interesting study of musical composition. This study aims to analyse the music composition of Rizky Fauzy Ananda's work, Rajékan, by looking at mathematical theory with the approach of The least common multiple (LCM). The method used with practice-led Research as an approach to music composition. The creation research methodology used is Artistic Research through a Practice-Led Research approach which is also integrated with mathematical theory and musicology, especially music composition. The results of this creative Research prove that repetition in music and in the context of life is important and mathematics always present in human life. Repetition has largely underpinned development in music. In the context of life, reps are things that always exist in everyday life, such as worship activities and lifestyles. Such repetitive phenomena can also provide certain learning or meaning for the individual. In the context of education, reps are the easiest and most basic way of learning to learn and recall about understanding something. Repetition processing whose ideas come from the phenomenon of researchers' self-experience, produces two repetition processing techniques with the LCM mathematical style (1) magnification and reduction of sound values that make up the cycle, (2) imitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the intersections among music composition, religious history and spiritual texts, with their attendant concepts. It focuses on two works with medieval sources—the concert piece Ave generosa (1996) and the chamber opera The Song of Margery Kempe (2008)—which were featured in the online Gallery of the conferences in 2021 and 2022, respectively, of the British and Irish Association for Practical Theology (BIAPT). Through the lenses of semiotics and intertextuality, it explores the ways by which theological concepts and spiritual contexts can be evoked and 'translated' into musical sound, both instrumental and vocal. A sampling of the literature on medieval monasticism and St Hildegard of Bingen, whose corpus forms the source of Ave generosa, supports a musical exegesis of its 'spiritual programme'. In the case of The Song of Margery Kempe, recent scholarship on the text frames examples of the multiplication of meanings provided by dramatisation and musical setting. Art in general and music composition in particular are presented as a commentary, or gloss, on both religious history and enduring spiritual themes, and a different way of thinking about religion and spirituality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to explore the sociomaterial relational activities within digital music composition education via the posthumanist concepts compositionism and assemblage. The study is an attempt at a nonlinear and non-reductivist understanding of educational activities where matter, nature, and culture shape performative practices. Engaging with Latour and Actor-Network Theory (ANT) and its onto-epistemological manifest as compositionism, the explorations also find impetus from posthumanist thinking, Barad’s intra-action, Haraway’s becoming-with, and post-qualitative inquiry. Four Year 9 classes in a Swedish compulsory school took part in the composing activity and the research intervention. During a four-week participation period, the music composition lessons were video-recorded. Sociomaterial transcriptions of the recorded lessons were transformed into assemblage compositions to explore the outcomes and becomings that emerged. What these sociomaterial compositions brings to the fore is the hybridity of digital music composition outcomes in learning activities.

We report on a musician who acquired synesthesia, enhanced sensory experience, and improved creativity following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Creativity and synesthesia can be acquired from an injury, though both simultaneously has not been frequently documented. This case report details heightened creativity and developing synesthesia in a 66-year-old right-handed man following TBI. He developed a "compulsion" to write music. Synesthesia included "seeing" the notation and being able to name chord structures of music he heard, both of which were novel experiences. The Synesthesia Battery revealed a vision-sound synesthesia with higher than average level of Vividness of Visual Imagery (VVIQ-2), and "Absolute Pitch/Perfect Pitch." The patient experienced an approximate four-month history of these changes, including musical compositions, developing perfect pitch, and enhanced sensory experience of typical phenomena. Both creativity and synesthesia depend on novel connections in the brain, and both have been reported following insults to the brain, including in degenerative conditions. However, the development of both simultaneously is not frequently reported. Evidence for the etiology of one prompting the other has not been described. Brain injury may result in increased creativity and synesthesia. Our fields would benefit from increased awareness of this possible relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gesture in a broader sense is more than a physical movement but, can also be modes of expression representing specific meanings. Movements with meaning embodies gesture and gesture exists in various artforms like music because of its capacity to express. Its capability to transform through time and space makes it akin to energy and it is parallel with the art of composing music. Musical gesture however, are being studied at different levels so as to classify and to relate different functions of gestures. This article intends to demonstrate the use of musical gestures into composing music for a solo wind instrument. Three solo pieces for clarinet were written by three different composers approaching musical composition through gestural writing. To realize the imagined sound and movements of the clarinet, the composers' composing process concentrated more on the gestural movements and tone colours of the selected wind instrument. The musical gesture in these three solo pieces is actually capturing the movement and sense of movement through music, and its essence lies in the subconscious lines connected to create direction and motion in both pieces. This compositional approach also gives the composers more compositional freedom and enriches their compositional process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]