HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: diarmuid@uniwa.uwa.edu.au (Diarmuid Pigott)
Newsgroups: rec.music.compose
Subject: Re: Theoretical developments in recent concert music
Date: 15 Dec 1992 00:23:42 +0800
Organization: The University of Western Australia
NNTP-Posting-Host: uniwa.uwa.edu.au
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5

Jeff Harrington (idealord@dorsai.com) wrote:
: I feel that the most important theoretical advance in music composition 
: recently must be the use of expert systems and computer-assisted 
: composition software.  Speaking solely from my personal experience
: of course, my compositional output has tripled since I completed my
: contrapuntal expert system.  It allows me to determine all of the delays 
: and transpositions which meet the harmonic criteria pertinent to the 
: evolving piece.  I still compose the melodies and improvise the 
: transitions and introductions, but contrapuntal sections now can be
: quickly auditioned once the system has finished with the given melodic 
: materials.  Taneiev (sp?) provided the theoretical basis for the system.

Do you find that the results are perfect, or do you "twiddle" them to
make them more pleasing?
From: archer@ucscb.UCSC.EDU (Zog Archer)
Newsgroups: rec.music.compose
Subject: A Macintosh MOD writer!!??
Date: 19 Dec 1992 00:24:46 GMT
Organization: University of California, Santa Cruz
NNTP-Posting-Host: ucscb.ucsc.edu


Is it true that a MOD writer for macs with a 68030 chip is being constructed?
I would love to get my mitts on that! As if the MODplayer wasn't
spiffy enough...

-- ZOG

-- 

-- ZOG

Newsgroups: rec.music.compose
From: bmtong@cs.cuhk.hk (Tong Bo-Ming)
Subject: // 5ths & 8ves
Organization: Faculty of Engineering, The Chinese U. of Hong Kong
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1992 13:05:05 GMT

Hi,

        I have a question on consecutive fifths and octaves.  Suppose I
have a bass, and an appegiated treble, and my melody is in the inner
part.  The appegio occasionally have some consecutive octaves with the
melody.  This is quite difficult to avoid, because it is not good to
break the appegio pattern, nor to modify the melody.  Any suggestions ?

                    A
                  F   F
                C       C
treble        A           A
            F               F
          C                   C
        A                       A

              F     F     F


tenor   C

bass    F

Tong Bo-Ming
Department of Computer Science
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Shatin, Hong Kong
From: gholsonj@memstvx1.memst.edu
Newsgroups: rec.music.compose
Subject: PIECES/solo clarinet
Date: 13 Dec 92 08:24:57 -0600
Organization: Memphis State University

  I am looking for pieces for SOLO CLARINET by Afro-American,Brazilian and /or 
Argentinian composers. Please include whatever telephone,e-mail or address
numbers possible. If you are a composer and have pieces that you would like
considered for future perfromance, send manuscripts to
;gholsonj@msuvx1.memst.edu or jgholson/#293 Music/MSU/Memphis,TN. 38152
Newsgroups: rec.music.compose
From: sherman@ecadsr.enet.dec.com (My name is...)
Subject: Re: uh-oh
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 03:13:32 GMT


In article <1992Dec14.150231.2933@zip.eecs.umich.edu>, fields@zip.eecs.umich.edu (Matthew Fields) writes...
>In article <1992Dec10.202300.15626@zip.eecs.umich.edu> fields@zip.eecs.umich.edu (Matthew Fields) writes:
> 

To which ah replies:
What say we get Bach to the topic at Handel.  These ritardando puns are too 
much for me to Coplan with.  Gluck!

Steve
From: maverick@mahogany.CS.Berkeley.EDU (Vance Maverick)
Newsgroups: rec.music.compose
Subject: Re: Trinidad music?
Date: 20 Dec 92 19:32:16 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
NNTP-Posting-Host: mahogany.cs.berkeley.edu

Wesleyan being the multiculti music place it is, there
should be at least a few discs of actual Trinidadian
folk music there.  The UC system shows quite a few,
for example 

10. SOUND RECORDING
    Houdini, Wilmoth, 1896-1973.
      [Selections.]
      Calypso classics from Trinidad / Wilmoth Houdini.  El Cerrito, Calif. :
    Folklyric Records, [1984?].

14. SOUND RECORDING
    The Music of Trinidad..  Washington, D.C. National Geographic Society
    [1971] 3297.
      2 s. 12 in. 33 1/3 rpm. stereophonic.

17. SOUND RECORDING
    Songs from Trinidad.  London : Argo, [196-?].
      1 sound disc : analog, 33 1/3 rpm, mono. ; 12 in.

21. SOUND RECORDING
    Cult music of Trinidad.  New York : Folkways Records, 1961.
      1 sound disc : analog, 33 1/3 rpm, mono. ; 12 in.
      Series title:  Ethnic folkways library.

22. SOUND RECORDING
    Carnival de Port-of-Spain.  Paris, France : Playa Sound : L[ong] I[sland]
    C[ity], N.Y. : International Book & Record Distributors, [198-].
      1 sound disc : analog, 33 1/3 rpm ; 12 in.
      Series title:  Carnavals du monde ; v. 3.

I think you can do better than Bobby McFerrin....

Good luck,
	Vance
Newsgroups: rec.music.compose
From: boarjas@elof.iit.edu (Jason Boardman)
Subject: **QUICK SINEAD SURVEY PLEASE ANSWER**
Organization: Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 92 17:12:02 GMT


*****  SIMPLE SURVEY -- PLEASE READ *****

I have seen much talk about Sinead on the net lately, 
and was wondering what the general opinion of Sinead
was.  Please take the 20 seconds it takes to reply to
this question and answer it.  (A simple Y or N will do).
Please use your newsreader's reply option or regular
email to submit votes -- do not post your answer.

Question:
Do you still support (or have a general good opinon of)
Sinead O'Connor?

If you wish to send detailed replies as to why or why not,
please do, but they are not required.  Thanks in advance!

Jason Boardman
boarjas@elof.iit.edu
Newsgroups: rec.music.compose
From: fields@zip.eecs.umich.edu (Matthew Fields)
Subject: Re: How does one compose?
Organization: University of Michigan EECS Dept., Ann Arbor
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 16:04:06 GMT

In  <8077@news.duke.edu> daw@carr2.acpub.duke.edu (Dwayne Wallace) writes:
>	So, get started having wild experiences with musician physics majors.

I'm sure these are not the only folks who could show you a wild time.
Newsgroups: rec.music.compose
From: bil@cmn14.Stanford.EDU (Bill Schottstaedt)
Subject: Re: How does one compose?
Organization: DSO, Stanford University
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 92 17:52:23 GMT

My Landlady: Rent's due.
Me: But Mrs Golgotha, I'm a budding Artist and all my friends on
    rec.music.compose say "don't worry: the money will come."
My Landlady: Pay me or I throw you out.
Me (as I land in the street): Oh joy!  A new Experience!  Now my
    music will be better than ever!
Newsgroups: rec.music.compose
From: jhm%weasel.cs.utah.edu@cs.utah.edu (Jimmy H. Miklavcic)
Subject: Re: How does one compose?
Date: 17 Dec 92 14:43:00 MST
Reply-To: jhm%weasel.cs.utah.edu@cs.utah.edu
Organization: Dept. of CS, Univ. of Utah

Ok, you asked for it.  I've been following this thread for the past few
weeks and thought that it was my turn to "Xpress" ('tis the Xmas
season, no?) my feelings about how to compose.

Most of the dialogue has touched upon concepts of theory, technique,
experience and emotion.  Each of these concepts practically require the
rest.  To forgoe any one of these you'll only be composing compost.
There are additional concepts that I use in my work that I've developed
from my studies as a visual artist.

I got involved in music right after I graduated from the eighth grade.
I came home running to my parents and telling them that they had to buy
me a guitar because I had just joined a band and we were playing at a
party in the next 2 weeks.  Damn, I had to learn fast.  I played in
bands all through high school and began writing songs during the last
year, thanks to the prodding of a few of my teachers.  Lessons?  What
lessons?

Anyway, when I entered college in New Jersey (1972), I was more
interested in the visual arts.  This was an important transition for
me.  It began the laying of the conceptual foundation on which all
creative activities that I engage in are built upon.  I studied for
three years, quit, went to Europe for 7 months, moved to Santa Cruz,
hitch hiked across the country 12 times and went back to school in '78
to study performing arts and electronic music.

So again, forgoing all the blah, blah, blah; the point I'm trying to
make is that I form all my music compositions out of the tools of a
visual artist (painting, sculpture, etc.).  I include open definitions
of "color", "texture", "line", "positive & negative space", "movement"
(includes the idea of the brush stroke), and others.

Having said all this, and believe me I could say a hell of a lot more,
I don't think we can forget what composing is really about, and more
generally what creativity is about.  It's not so much about composing
music, it's about "how" one creatively solves the problem of composing
music for oneself and then applying the same principles to ones own
life (sorry, i just had to get philosophical).

I'm very interested in talking to the person (who asked the question) in
10, 20, 30 years from now.

Well I gotta go, let's do lunch.

Jimmy

PS: Captain James T. Kirk says: "No blah blah!!"

Newsgroups: rec.music.compose
From: fields@zip.eecs.umich.edu (Matthew Fields)
Subject: Re: Advances in composition
Organization: University of Michigan EECS Dept., Ann Arbor
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1992 21:32:59 GMT

In article <1992Dec11.212136.13971@gecko.uucp> josh@Tekelec.gecko.uucp (Josh Barinstein) writes:
>I found this particular question quite interesting.  The problem is
>that those who have replied have not really answered David's question.
>I agree that MIDI, expert systems, and computer-assisted composition
>software have been important advances in music.  However, quoting from
>David's message:  "what pieces of music composed recently..." (no
>point in repeating the whole thing).

Steve Reich's "Different Trains" is, perhaps, symptomatic of the situation. :-)
-Matt
From: maverick@fir.CS.Berkeley.EDU (Vance Maverick)
Newsgroups: rec.music.compose
Subject: Re: Advances in composition
Date: 15 Dec 1992 22:16:12 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: fir.cs.berkeley.edu

In article <RMC.92Dec15113401@miyazaki.wang.com>, rmc@wang.com (rmc) writes:
|> A completely
|> different graphical notation is used by (i think, memory is cloudy
|> again) Morton Feldman.  No pieces stand out in my mind as being
|> particularly successful, especially compared to the Braxton pieces,
|> and my prof thinks Feldman may have moved away from this technique.

The last pieces he did this way were before 1970, most
before 1960.  There's an excellent old record, if you can
find it:  Columbia ML 5403, _New directions in music -- 2_,
of 1959.  He was involved in making the recordings, and the
"improvisation" is very much in the Feldman spirit,
restricted, as Cage said, to the "gamut of love."  Gorgeous
version of _Four Pianos_.

I don't find the fact that it's possible to play these
pieces badly to be a relevant criticism of the technique. 
You can play Beethoven badly, too.

	Vance
Newsgroups: rec.music.compose
From: fields@zip.eecs.umich.edu (Matthew Fields)
Subject: Re: Advances in composition
Organization: University of Michigan EECS Dept., Ann Arbor
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 20:45:47 GMT

>"Schoenberg's writing of his 12-tone method certainly did a lot to shape
>"this attitude. His writings, which looked upon this method not just as
>"a necessity for his personal artistic expression, but as a HISTORICAL
>"necessity. Thus his invention was often talked about as a "discovery"
>"as were many of the variations that his followers began to invent:
>"combinatorial hexachords, cells, serialism, set theory, blah blah blah.

Well, yeah, but we're talking about his followers here.  He was reluctant
to talk about his technique to others, and mainly taught 18th-century
counterpoint as a classroom topic.  ---And continued to compose in an
"updated" 18th-century style intermittently all his life.

>Hear, hear.  As our turbulent twentieth century draws to a close, so may
>this obsession with Neuen ueber Alles.

But really the human animal hasn't changed much, so there ain't nothing
all that new, even in the "novel".  New Age, like Fusion, Serialism, and
every other ism I can think of, is a moderately new recipe from ingredients
as old as the hills.

But why compose music if not to, in some sense, make something new?...and
some folks opt for novelty to corner a small market, before everybody joins
in the trend.

Experimentation by vocal advocates of electronic music in the 50's (that
includes Milton Babbitt) was an important part of the impetus that led to
our modern MIDI equipment.

Experiment grounded in personal mysticisms has no intrinsic reason for being
entertaining to others...but experimentation grounded in listening is the
daily bread and water of even the most conservative of composers.

Now get back to composing!
;-)
Newsgroups: rec.music.compose
Subject: Trinidad music?
From: bcimmet@eagle.wesleyan.edu
Date: 19 Dec 92 10:48:03 EST
Organization: Wesleyan University

I am currently a student at Wesleyan University in Connecticut -- that just for
a bit of background on location. Next semester, I have to write original music
for a theatrical production -- one of the most major productions of the
semester. Of the year, for that matter. It's called "Dream on Monkey Mountain"
by Derek Walcott. The director doesn't really know what to say about the music.
She says it's suppoed to take place (the show) in Trinidad, and I should listen
to music from that general area, but then she also tells me to listen to
Carribbean music, and Bobby McFerrin music. They're all cool, and have lots of
neat rhythms and chords, except are they all appropriate to Trinidad? Does
anyone know anything about Trinidadian music and can suggest anything to me? I
don't even have a clue how to start writing the stuff, either. Thanks.

- Medford

 
Newsgroups: rec.music.compose
From: sherman@ecadsr.enet.dec.com (My name is...)
Subject: Re: Advances in composition
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 02:57:59 GMT


In article <1992Dec11.212136.13971@gecko.uucp>, josh@Tekelec.gecko.uucp (Josh Barinstein) writes...
> 
>David V. Feldman writes:
> 
>> In the opinions of readers of this group, what pieces of music
>> composed recently represent the most important theoretical 
>> developments in compositional technique.
>> By recently I mean, so within the last five or ten years.
>> I am not here concerned in anyway with whether the music is good or
>> bad, beautiful or ugly, but simply with innovations in melody, harmony,
>> rhythm, timbre, form, tuning, theatre, spacial location, integration
>> of new technology, etc. whose significance is potentially wider than
>> the individual piece where they are instantiated.  I am especially
>> interested to hear about the work of younger or lesser known composers
>> whose work I am unlikely to know from recordings or broadcast.
> 
> 
>I found this particular question quite interesting.  The problem is
>that those who have replied have not really answered David's question.

Well, this may seem odd or arrogant.  But, I don't think that there have been 
*any* important theoretical developments in compositional technique in the 
last ten years.  What I have seen are musician/composers that learn a lot about
past composers, theory and so forth.  I've seen what some folks have done to
try to break with tradition (Cage comes to mind).  But, there have been so many
of these that breaking with tradition has sort of become tradition in itself.
(And, for some, it's become a bit of a cop out, IMO.)

But, if there is an unimportant (but significant) theoretical development in
compositional technique I suppose it has to do with the use of a computer to
synthesize music.  That is, using a computer to synthesize not just sound but
also the structure and progression of music.  During the last 10 years there
have been several such programs created and developed.  (Tom Janzen of and
soon formerly of Digital Equipment Corporation has one some of you may have
heard of called Algorhythms.  I'm proud to count him as a friend of mine.)
I understand there is work going on in Boston schools along these lines as
well.

I can't stand to listen to this stuff ...  except ...  It is interesting to
try to "make sense" of it.  And, in this process new ideas can emerge.  And,
that is how I think computers will probably help in the future -- by suggesting
probable solutions to compositional problems that can stimulate creative
response from the composer.  This in addition to suggesting accompaniment
and melody and doing the more mundane and (now) traditional tasks.

Steve (ever learning and never really learning enough)
Newsgroups: rec.music.compose
From: sherman@ecadsr.enet.dec.com (My name is...)
Subject: Re: MIDI Interface for PC sound board?
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 17:28:13 GMT


In article <1992Dec15.183423.6949@sol.UVic.CA>, jpanusa@sol.UVic.CA (John Panusa) writes...
>I've just purchased a Sound Commander FX for a 386sx, and although
>it said that no MIDI adapter was required, it only has a 15pin
>rectangular joystick port!  So, does anyone know how I can get 
>a 5pin DIN Midi cable to a 15pin joystick port?  I know I'll
>need some sort of adapter, but NOBODY around here knows anything!
>If anyone knows where such an adapter can be purchased, or how
>I can construct one myself, please let me know!
> 
> 
>Thanks,
> 
>Gianpaolo (John) Panusa
> 

You might check out getting a MIDImate from MediaVision.  It adds 
MIDI ports to the joystick port for other sound cards like the PAS16
and Soundblaster.

Steve
Newsgroups: rec.music.compose
From: fields@zip.eecs.umich.edu (Matthew Fields)
Subject: Re: How does one compose?
Organization: University of Michigan EECS Dept., Ann Arbor
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1992 19:52:26 GMT

In article <yomkVB1w165w@dorsai.com> idealord@dorsai.com (Jeff Harrington) writes:
>I find this the most interesting comment so far on how to being 
>composing.  I've studied music at all sorts of institutions and the one
>thing I've learned from listening to student pieces is that the student's
>life experience often limits the music.  I've noticed this in all the 
>arts, actually.

Conversely, one of my favorite composers is PQ Phan, who grew up in
Vietnam in the 60's.

-Matt


Newsgroups: rec.music.compose
From: fields@zip.eecs.umich.edu (Matthew Fields)
Subject: uh-oh
Organization: University of Michigan EECS Dept., Ann Arbor, MI
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 15:02:31 GMT

In article <1992Dec10.202300.15626@zip.eecs.umich.edu> fields@zip.eecs.umich.edu (Matthew Fields) writes:

In article <1992Dec10.173122.27687@eagle.lerc.nasa.gov> bgood@sundagger.lerc.nasa.gov () writes:
Too bad you have to travel shofar away to hear a premiere of your work.

To which I said:
I was thinking of sending the piece to Australia for Stuart Dempster to
play it, but he's full of Didgeree-doo.

To which Brian came back:
I don't know what came over me.  I'm usually ContraPuntal.

To which I said:
Well, you put your Dux up, and I had to Comes up with a proper response.

To which he said:
Vivaldi puns going back and forth over the net, I can hardly get any
work done.

To which I say:
If all thesis folks get off their arsis, we should be able to
meter goals. Then we'll have more choices than to see sharp or be double-flat.
Newsgroups: rec.music.compose
From: gmyers@hamilton.edu (George Myers)
Subject: Re: Finale and Stylewriter
Organization: Hamilton College - Clinton, NY
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1992 04:37:58 GMT

> In article <1992Dec6.041541.8831@itsmail1.hamilton.edu> gmyers@hamilton.edu  
(George Myers) writes:
> >A friend of mine tried to print a Finale file on her Stylewriter, and
> >what came out was garble. I think it was Courier font being substituted
> >for the Petrucci font. Any suggestions?
> 
> 
> 	The problem is that the Petrucci font is installed in Finale itself, 
> and she tried to do it in the background. One option is to turn off  
background
> printing.
> 
> 	Presumably, one can also use the Font/DA mover under system six to pull
> the petrucci font out of Finale and install it into the system. I, myself,
> have not been able to do this, and am consigned to just running without 
> background printing, but the manuals say it is possible.
> 
> 	Tim

	Petrucci is a Type One PostScript font, so there are two versions. One  
is the screen font which is placed in the system file, and the other is a  
printer font which is an extension. In order to have these available at the  
system level, the screen font should be in the system suitcase, and the printer  
font in the extensions folder. However, since the Stylewriter is a QuickDraw  
printer, you need to have Adobe Type Manager installed to interpret a QuickDraw  
bitmap from the PostScript outlines. There are folders labeled Finale Printer  
Fonts and Finale Screen Fonts which contain those files for the Petrucci and  
Seville fonts.



Newsgroups: rec.music.reviews
From: stewarte@sco.COM (Stewart Evans)
Subject: Fred Frith - "Step Across The Border" 
Organization: The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc.
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 20:46:23 GMT
Followup-To: rec.music.misc


Fred Frith - "Step Across The Border" (East Side Digital)

I've heard nothing but praise for the film to which this is the
soundtrack.  I have yet to see the film, but now that I've heard
this album I really want to see it!  This is 74 minutes of prime
Frith, in various contexts and with various groups of musicians.
As such, it's a great overview for the unfamiliar.  It's not a
comprehensive anthology, by any means; just for starters, neither
his work with Henry Kaiser nor the French,Frith,Kaiser,Thompson
material is represented.  However, it does have material from 
Skeleton Crew (which really makes me want to hear more!), Massacre,
and from his solo albums "Gravity" and "Cheap at Half the Price".
Other collaborators include a surprisingly mellow John Zorn, 
Iva Bittova and Pavel Fajt, Tim Hodgkinson and many others less
notorious.  The material ranges from quite structured songs to
what seem to be free improvisations.  I'm pretty picky about my
free improv -- I like a certain amount of structure, whether
intended or apparent -- and I enjoy virtually everything on this
album.  "Lost and Found" (with Bittova and Fajt) is a gentle tune
reminiscent of Eastern European folk music; "Norrgarden Nyvla" sounds
remarkably like old King Crimson; "Birds" starts off sounding like
Appalachian fiddling before turning into something stranger.  While
a few tracks don't really go anywhere, they're short enough (there
are 26 tracks on this 74 minute CD) that they work as interludes.
Newsgroups: rec.music.reviews,rec.music.misc