Jazz as Social Machine AI and JAZZ, University of Southampton
"Music is data. AI researchers are beginning to use this data to create machines that make music. This project takes jazz improvisation as a (thorny) example of a problem that haunts AI-generated art: what happens to the human? The answers to this question will be in the form of scholarly and creative reflection."
From December 2019 - January 2021 I was a Research Fellow on this project which was led by Dr. Tom Irvine at the University of Southampton. Tom is currently a Turing Fellow and has received funding for this project from the Alan Turing Institute. Turing AI fellowships are created to "support a diverse AI research community and enable new models of collaboration across sectors in AI". This project is really taking me out of my comfort zone as a composer allowing me to explore various themes within Jazz and AI while exploring new creative tools such as Unity Game Engine.
My role within this project is to create a sound installation that responds and explores the themes within this project. The centrepiece for the project is a virtual gallery space designed in Unity. There are two parts to the virtual exhibition:
Room 1) The first computer and the early ideas about AI: This interactive exhibit will allow the 'player' to navigate through a virtual space learning about the history of the first computer and the early ideas that computers could think like humans and make music. The player will learn about historical figures such as Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage who were pioneers in developing the first computer.
Room 2) The Stories of Jazz Improvisation: Every jazz improvisation tells a story. There is a history and background to the improvisation based on social and cultural experiences. But what happens if a computer tries to make a piece of jazz improvisation? Is it just a programmed sequence of notes? In order to understand how a jazz musician improvises the 'player' will listen to stories told by famous jazz musicians and even hear some of their music.
The 'player' will interact with sound and images as they navigate through the gallery space. The narrative is told through the exploration of archival sources such as the Oral History of British Science archives at the British Library, Alan Lomax Oral History recordings such as New Orleans Jazz Interviews 1949 and the David Niven Jazz Archives. The project focuses on the use of Oral History recordings and they can be share with new audiences with an interactive multi-media environment.
This virtual exhibition also highlights how gaming technology can be used as a community and public engagement platform allowing researchers to engage with a wider audience.
People:
Dr. Tom Irvine, Associate Professor in Music, University of Southampton. Global Music history and jazz expert
Dr. Valentina Cardo, Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton is also part of the research team bringing her expertise in politics, gender and digital media to the project.
Dr. Brona Martin, Composer and Sound Artist in Creative Music Technology
"Music is data. AI researchers are beginning to use this data to create machines that make music. This project takes jazz improvisation as a (thorny) example of a problem that haunts AI-generated art: what happens to the human? The answers to this question will be in the form of scholarly and creative reflection."
From December 2019 - January 2021 I was a Research Fellow on this project which was led by Dr. Tom Irvine at the University of Southampton. Tom is currently a Turing Fellow and has received funding for this project from the Alan Turing Institute. Turing AI fellowships are created to "support a diverse AI research community and enable new models of collaboration across sectors in AI". This project is really taking me out of my comfort zone as a composer allowing me to explore various themes within Jazz and AI while exploring new creative tools such as Unity Game Engine.
My role within this project is to create a sound installation that responds and explores the themes within this project. The centrepiece for the project is a virtual gallery space designed in Unity. There are two parts to the virtual exhibition:
Room 1) The first computer and the early ideas about AI: This interactive exhibit will allow the 'player' to navigate through a virtual space learning about the history of the first computer and the early ideas that computers could think like humans and make music. The player will learn about historical figures such as Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage who were pioneers in developing the first computer.
Room 2) The Stories of Jazz Improvisation: Every jazz improvisation tells a story. There is a history and background to the improvisation based on social and cultural experiences. But what happens if a computer tries to make a piece of jazz improvisation? Is it just a programmed sequence of notes? In order to understand how a jazz musician improvises the 'player' will listen to stories told by famous jazz musicians and even hear some of their music.
The 'player' will interact with sound and images as they navigate through the gallery space. The narrative is told through the exploration of archival sources such as the Oral History of British Science archives at the British Library, Alan Lomax Oral History recordings such as New Orleans Jazz Interviews 1949 and the David Niven Jazz Archives. The project focuses on the use of Oral History recordings and they can be share with new audiences with an interactive multi-media environment.
This virtual exhibition also highlights how gaming technology can be used as a community and public engagement platform allowing researchers to engage with a wider audience.
People:
Dr. Tom Irvine, Associate Professor in Music, University of Southampton. Global Music history and jazz expert
Dr. Valentina Cardo, Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton is also part of the research team bringing her expertise in politics, gender and digital media to the project.
Dr. Brona Martin, Composer and Sound Artist in Creative Music Technology
The Gallery Space:
The Gallery Space has been designed in Unity and can be rendered for different platforms such as IOS. Android, Mac, PC and web browser. This virtual space is even more necessary during the current climate and will allow us to share this project with a wider audience.
Audio from oral history archives, images and text tell the story. The player can step on the footprints to trigger sound and more information about a picture or topic.
The Gallery Space has been designed in Unity and can be rendered for different platforms such as IOS. Android, Mac, PC and web browser. This virtual space is even more necessary during the current climate and will allow us to share this project with a wider audience.
Audio from oral history archives, images and text tell the story. The player can step on the footprints to trigger sound and more information about a picture or topic.
Interesting projects that I have discovered during my research about AI and Jazz:
AI can't do Jazz
The Worldwide spread of Jazz through technical innovation
Bjork and Microsoft using AI to create music that changes with the weather
AI can't do Jazz
The Worldwide spread of Jazz through technical innovation
Bjork and Microsoft using AI to create music that changes with the weather
