Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly becoming a significant collaborator in the realm of modern musical composition. Researchers and musicians at the University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) are at the forefront of exploring AI’s creative potential in this domain.
https://today.ucsd.edu/story/what-is-ais-part-in-modern-musical-composition
AI as a Creative Partner in Music
Under the leadership of Professor Shlomo Dubnov, who holds positions in both the Music and Computer Science and Engineering departments at UC San Diego, a team is investigating methods to quantify musical quality and harness AI’s ability to generate original compositions. Their objective is to extend beyond simple text-to-music prompts, aiming to redefine AI’s role in interpreting non-traditional musical scores.
Interpreting Graphic Scores with AI
A notable endeavor by the team involves the use of AI to interpret graphic scores, specifically Cornelius Cardew’s Treatise. This avant-garde composition comprises abstract symbols and shapes, lacking conventional musical notation. The UC San Diego researchers employed OpenAI’s ChatGPT to translate these visual elements into descriptive text prompts. These prompts were then processed by their Music Latent Diffusion Model (MusicLDM), a pre-trained algorithm designed for music generation, resulting in unique auditory interpretations of the graphic score.
Innovative Techniques and Recognitions
Building upon prior research, the team introduced an “outpainting” technique. This method overlaps segments of AI-generated music to produce seamless and intricate soundscapes. The culmination of this work, titled “Interpreting Graphic Notation with MusicLDM: An AI Improvisation of Cornelius Cardew’s Treatise,” earned them the runner-up position at the AI Music Competition during the 2024 IEEE International Conference on Big Data.
Through these initiatives, UC San Diego is demonstrating the evolving synergy between AI and human creativity in music. By leveraging AI as both a tool and a collaborator, they are expanding the horizons of musical composition and performance, paving the way for innovative forms of artistic expression.
