Category Archives: music

Harmony Spoken Here

Posted on September 28, 2023 by midiguru

What is music composition? When we say we’re composing music, what activity are we describing? This is one of the provocative questions that Sarah Belle Reid asks in her series of lessons on using modular synthesizers. I haven’t signed up … Continue reading →

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MIDI Performance Expectations

Posted on August 10, 2023 by midiguru

Since I first heard about MIDI Performance Expression (MPE) I’ve been excited about it. But now that I’ve had a chance to try it out … not so excited. This is just my personal experience. Others may feel very differently, … Continue reading →

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Oldies R Us

Posted on August 4, 2023 by midiguru

Of little interest to anybody, I’m sure, but it’s my blog and I’ll glob if I want to … For some years now I’ve had a hankering to play some live music again. The trick is figuring out what’s practical. … Continue reading →

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AI, AI, Cap’n!

Posted on July 19, 2023 by midiguru

You can’t put the genie back in the bottle. Advances in technology have been rendering jobs obsolete for a couple of hundred years now, and will continue to do so. Weaving was once a cottage industry, but then the Jacquard … Continue reading →

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Rattling on, v: Making Tracks

Posted on July 8, 2023 by midiguru

I’m in awe of classical composers. The ability to envision what a full orchestra is going to sound like as you write your composition on a sheaf of score paper is far beyond what my brain could ever manage. But … Continue reading →

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Rattling on, iv

Posted on July 4, 2023 by midiguru

In 1957, the elementary schools in Bloomington, Illinois, had a clever policy. Students who wanted to play band instruments could start in fifth grade, but if you chose to play a string instrument you could start in fourth grade. The … Continue reading →

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Rattling on, iii

Posted on July 2, 2023 by midiguru

Until I was a senior in high school, my knowledge of and interest in music was not much above average. I played the cello in school orchestras, and my parents paid for private cello lessons (for which I am extraordinarily … Continue reading →

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Game Changes

Posted on May 20, 2023 by midiguru

Last year I participated in the Interactive Fiction Competition (IFComp). There are prizes for the top entries, and people are asked to donate to the prize pool. I knew I would likely win some prize money (and I did), so … Continue reading →

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Brain Waves

Posted on March 21, 2023 by midiguru

I’m angry at my brain. It no longer functions the way it once did. I’m 74 years old. I don’t think this is Alzheimer’s. It’s just being old. My brain still functions pretty darn well, but not in real time. … Continue reading →

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Structure and Meaning in Experimental Music

Posted on December 11, 2022 by midiguru

First, a brief stroll through history. When multitrack tape recording became affordable in the late 1970s, it became practical for the first time for musicians who didn’t have a band not only to compose music but to hear what they … Continue reading →

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