Generative Music with the Living Machine: Using Rule-Based Improvisation to Generate Narrative and Soundtrack

Abstract

This paper proposes the term generative improvisation to describe free improvisations that are constrained by a set of human-determined limits. The purpose of this term is to emphasize the way that rules limit performer choices and define the meanings of different musical gestures to generate specific kinds of performances. By examining Narrative Generator (for Living Machine), a rule-based improvisation for narrator, instruments, and electronics, I demonstrate that generative improvisation can be used to produce a performance of a coherent improvised narrative and soundtrack by basing the rules of the work on the theories and practices employed in film and video games. From there, the paper examines the relationships between different performers, the performers and the composer, and the composer, performer, and audience in the work, discussing the potential impacts of these relationships. Finally, I consider the role accessibility plays in spreading these potential impacts to a broader audience.