On the origins and evolution of music in virtual worlds

Publisher Summary The chapter studies origins and evolution of musical forms, not in the context of genetic mutations, but rather in the context of cultural conventions. It is considered that variations in musical styles, for example, result from the emergence of new rules and/or from the shifting of existing conventions for music making. Musical styles maintain their organization within a cultural framework and yet they are highly dynamic; they are constantly evolving and adapting to new cultural situations. While the criteria for natural selection in biology are chiefly based upon physical fitness and reproductive capability, in music these criteria will depend on the effects of the new rules on the music-making experience. Musical forms can be studied as live organisms, and musicology can benefit hugely from artificial life's research paradigms. The chapter discusses the general notion of evolutionary modeling and proposes the fundamental ingredients for studying evolutionary phenomena in the context of music. Then the chapter focuses on the design of a digital musical instrument, where employed are cellular automata to control the evolution of complex synthesized sounds. Finally the relevance of this musical instrument in the context of the overall research project is explained.