Part of The Culture Capital Exchange's Inside Out Festival 2017

Folk music, by its nature, involves folks. So it’s absurd to think a computer can compose such music. This unique event – part presentation, concert and workshop – shows how it’s not absurd at all!

Our international research and creative team has been applying methods of “machine learning” to modeling folk music – specifically, tens of thousands of ``Celtic'' tunes typically played in pubs and festivals around Ireland, France and the UK. The result is a computer program that can generate an endless number of tunes. With human interpretation, these tunes can become music sharing a surprising number of qualities with “genuine” folk music.

This event kicks off with a fun presentation about what “machine learning” is, and how we are applying it to compose music. Then there will be a short concert of music played by master musicians, who will weave together traditional tunes with computer-generated ones.

Will you be able to tell which is which? Then the musicians will lead a workshop for attendees who bring their own instruments to learn to play, one phrase at a time, a computer-generated tune.

We will finish with a panel discussion and question and answer session.

Image credit: Bob L Sturm