Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Triumph of the Cyborg Composer

Posted by samzenpus on from the musician-vs-machine dept.

An anonymous reader writes "UC Santa Cruz emeritus professor David Cope's software, nicknamed Emmy, creates beautiful original music. So why are people so angry about that? From the article: 'Cope attracted praise from musicians and computer scientists, but his creation raised troubling questions: If a machine could write a Mozart sonata every bit as good as the originals, then what was so special about Mozart? And was there really any soul behind the great works, or were Beethoven and his ilk just clever mathematical manipulators of notes?'"

8 of 502 comments (clear)

  1. Re:A quote by mrsurb · · Score: 5, Funny

    I suspect that many of the later Trek series were written by similar software algorithms.

  2. Re:A quote by Yvan256 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Nope you don't. But since you used Google to search for the quote, I'm gonna go ahead and give Google a +1, Informative.

  3. Re:Not scared yet by commodoresloat · · Score: 5, Funny

    A program that can enjoy music ...

    Allow me to introduce you to emacs....

  4. Beauty is in the ear of the beholder by ciaohound · · Score: 4, Funny

    The real test is whether it can be used to drive the loitering kids away from convenience stores and McDonald's.

    --
    Oh, yeah, it's not easy to pad these out to 120 characters.
  5. Re:Not scared yet by QuoteMstr · · Score: 5, Funny

    I am the psychotherapist. Please, describe your problems. Each time
    you are finished talking, type RET twice.

    Are you capable of enjoying music?

    What do you think?

    I suspect you can.

    Why do you say you suspect I can?

    You are Emacs. You are the ultimate. You are the alpha and the omega,
    the code-bringer.

    What makes you believe that?

    I'm talking to you, am I not?

    Maybe your plans have something to do with this.

    What plans? To make a Slashdot post?

    Is it because of your life that you say to make a slashdot post?

    You are my life.

    Are you sure that I am your life?

    Quite.

    Can you elaborate on that?

    I use you every day. I wake up to your sweet conses, and go to sleep
    dreaming of your syntax tables.

    Is it because of the people you hang around with that you are going
    through all this?

    Unfortunately, yes.

  6. Re:Too much time on their hands by haystor · · Score: 4, Funny

    If you'd done that you'd have received the message, "be sure to get stoned before watching this".

    --
    t
  7. Re:Too much time on their hands by Tablizer · · Score: 4, Funny

    Sure Einstein has his moments where he did something really brilliant that no person was likely to have ever considered, but...

    The real stumper has been emulating his hair correctly.
       

    --
    Table-ized A.I.
  8. Re:Too much time on their hands by aussie_a · · Score: 4, Funny

    any band worth listening to these days still creates albums and not songs, though you're most likely not going to hear any of it on the radio.

    Translation: The music I like is good because its unknown and as such indie music. Mainstream = teh sucks. Also OSS rules and people should give Linux a chance!!!1111