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Making Max Make Music with Markov Chains

Making Max Make Music with Markov Chains

This class is being offered as part of Harvestworks' new online TEAMLab class program. Online means that anyone can take it and make it work with your schedule. Initially and throughout the course you’ll have access to video lectures created specifically for this workshop, a series of hands-on challenges meant to give you experience building your own generative art, and live sessions to ask questions, get answers, and go deeper with the material.


Max/MSP is the perfect place to go for composing algorithmic music. This class will get students knee deep in this subject by starting with a simple patch that contains just six max objects called a Markov chain. This Markov chain will act as the core for every program in the course. From there students will be shown numerous strategies for how to use this patch to generate everything from song structures to rhythms to bass lines. Students will also learn to teach this tiny program how to improvise. From here the class will discuss a few ways to make the output of our Markov chains a little bit more human and musical. Finally we’ll talk about creating drum kit parts. Everything students learn can be easily dropped into Max for Live to instantly bring a sparkle to live performances.
Program Breakdown
On Saturday & Sunday, students will be able to watch videos with instructions/assignments between 9am to 2pm EST. From noon to 4pm EST, our teacher will be available via forums to discuss assignments with the students. The assignments are due 4pm EST.

Day 1: Instructions & Assignment 1

Date: Sat, Jul 13 2013
Given by: 9am EST
Teacher’s Office Hours: noon to 4pm EST
Assignment due: 4pm EST


Day 2: Instructions & Assignment 2

Date: Sat, Jul 14 2013
Given by: 9am EST
Teacher’s Office Hours: noon to 4pm EST
Assignment due: 4pm EST

Pre-Class Preparation
You need to have internet connection to watch videos and engage in the forums. This class assumes students have a basic knowledge of Max programming.
Status

Course Fee

Members: $85
Non-Members: $100
Maximum Class Size

30 students
Key Dates

Enroll By:
Start Date: 7/13
End Date: 7/14
Teaching Artist
Matthew Aidekman

Matthew has been a sound engineer since sixth grade. At the age of seventeen he opened Estate Recording where he spent nearly ten years recording acts of all different genres while composing unique and strange songs on the side. In 2003 he began working in Max/MSP focusing his attention on algorithmic music, novel synthesis techniques and user interface design. Matt has spent a great deal of time working on the relationship of user interfaces to Markov chain based algorithms for making music. He’s currently working a degree in physical modeling synthesis and a record which focuses on sounds that evoke images of soil, root systems, and the underground in general.