Unconventional computation and teaching: Proposal for MUSIC, a tone-based scripting language for accessibility, computation and education

This paper provides a proposal for a tone-based programming/scripting language called MUSIC (the name is an acronym for Music-Utilizing Script Input Code). In a MUSIC program input and output consists entirely of musical tones. Computation can be done through musical transformations of notes and melodies. MUSIC can be used for teaching the basics of script-based programming, computer-aided composition, and provided programming access to those with limitations in sight or physical accessibility. As a result of MUSIC's approach to tone-based programming and computation, it also allows for a development environment that utilizes computer expressive performance for highlighting structure, and emotional transformation to highlight bugs. © 2014 Old City Publishing, Inc

A Hybrid Computer Case Study for Unconventional Virtual Computing

Improvements in computer efficiency are not always due to increasing computation speed. The mouse and GUI approach to OS’s actually slowed down computation, but sped up computing. This paper highlights the concept of Unconventional Virtual Computation (UVC). With the increasing virtualization of computers, and the recognition that this year’s virtual computers are as fast as the hardware computers of 10 years ago, it becomes clear that we are only limited in our modes of computation by our imagination. A form of UVC is presented called Pulsed Melodic Affective Processing, which utilizes melodies to perform affective computations. PMAP makes computation more human-friendly by making it audible – a PMAP data stream sounds like the emotion it represents. A hybrid computation system is presented combining UVC PMAP with a Photonic Quantum Computer, in which the PMAP musico-logic circuit keeps the QC in a state of entanglement

Towards harmonic extensions of pulsed melodic affective processing - further musical structures for increasing transparency in emotional computation

Pulsed Melodic Affective Processing (PMAP) is a method for the processing of artificial emotions in affective computing. PMAP is a data stream which can be listened to, as well as computed with. The affective state is represented by numbers which are analogues of musical features, rather than by a binary stream. Previous affective computation has been done with emotion category indices, or real numbers representing positivity of emotion, etc. PMAP data can be generated directly by sound and rhythms (e.g. heart rates or key-press speeds) and turned directly into into music with minimal transformation. This is because PMAP data is music and computations done with PMAP data are computations done with music. Why is this important? Because PMAP is constructed so that the emotion which its data represents at the computational level, will be similar to the emotion which a person "listening" to the PMAP melody hears. So PMAP can be used to calculate "feelings" and the result data will "sound like" the feelings calculated. Harmonic PMAP (PMAPh) is an extension of PMAP allowing harmonies to be used in calculations © 2014 Old City Publishing, Inc

Music interaction: understanding music and human-computer interaction

We introduce and review recent research in Music and Human Computer Interaction, also known as Music Interaction. After a general overview of the discipline, we analyse the themes and issues raised by the fifteen chapters of this book, each of which presents recent research in this field. The bulk of this chapter is organised as an FAQ. This enables some FAQs to focus on cross cutting issues that appear in multiple chapters, and some chapters to feature in multiple FAQs. Broad topics include: the scope of research in Music Interaction; the role of HCI in Music Interaction; and conversely, the role of Music Interaction in HCI. High-level themes include embodied cognition, spatial cognition, evolutionary interaction, gesture, formal language, affective interaction, and methodologies from social science. Musical activities of interest include performance, composition, analysis, collaborative music making, and human and machine improvisation. Specific issues include: whether Music Interaction should be easy; what can be learned from the experience of being “in the groove”, and what can be learned from the deep commitment of musical amateurs. Broader issues include: what Music Interaction can offer traditional instruments and traditional musical activities; what relevance it has for non-musical domains; and ways in which Music Interaction can enable entirely new musical activities possible