close logo

Music and Artificial Intelligence – Workshop on Computational Music

Can music be coded? Can computer create music? Can you train a computer to create music?

Rishihood University in collaboration with Indic Academy brings a workshop on Computational Music by Vinod Vidwans on 23rd & 24th February, Gurgaon. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, whether a musician or a technocrat, this is an intriguing workshop on artificial intelligence and music to find the answers.

Prof. Vinod Vidwans has a PhD from IIT Bombay on Creativity as Design Intelligence. He is a multifaceted person commanding skills in fine arts such as Painting, Calligraphy, Hindustani Music, Graphic Design, User Interface Design, New Media design etc. on the one hand and skills in computer coding particularly in the areas of language technologies, web development, Artificial Intelligence etc. on the other. He is passionate about the theoretical knowledge embedded in ancient Indian Shastras such as VyaakaraNa, Yoga, Alankaarashaastra, sangeetashaastra, naaTyashaastra etc. along with practical aspects of them.

Combining all these skills and knowledge, he did experiments in imparting creativity to machine, i.e., computer.

About the Workshop

Prof. Vidwans created an AI creative expert system which makes a computer perform classical Indian concert on its own, like a creative human musician does. He created the system using the description and analysis of classical Indian music in the ancient treatises such as Naradiya Shiksha, Natya Shastra of Bharata, and Sangeet Ratnakar of Sharanga Deva. By doing this, he proved that these shastras have computationally significant and exhaustive description and analysis of music.

Through this workshop, he would like to pass on this understanding of him about the computational aspects of sangeetashastra i.e., the traditional musicology of Indian classical music to musicians and musicologists and students, researchers and professionals of computer science including the area of Artificial Intelligence.

Musicians and musicologists of Indian classical music shall be introduced to the necessary fundamentals of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence. IT professionals, students, researchers and professionals of computer science shall be introduced to the necessary fundamentals of sangeetashastra, i.e., traditional musicology of Indian classical music. Both shall be introduced to modelling Sangeeta shaastra for AI and in creating a musician computer in this workshop.

The Workshop is for:

  • Musicologists, music researchers, students of music and performing arts
  • Engineers, technocrats, IT professionals, and scientists/mathematicians interested in Indic themes
  • Computer scientists with expertise in modeling
  • Performing artists with interest in theoretical knowledge
  • Scholars in Indic studies with interest in media, communication and aesthetics
  • Inter-disciplinary experts in diverse areas interested in Indian music and recent developments in computer science

Note: Participants need to bring their own laptops. Systems will need Windows 7 or higher system on the computers/ laptops. Participants do not need any prior specific technical or software skills.

Workshop Schedule

Day I – 23rd February

Session 1: Demonstration of the Indian Classical Musician Computer or AI Creative Expert System for Indian Classical Music

Tea break

Session 2: Indian Music- A theoretical overview and significance of Naradiya Shiksha, Bharata’s Natyashastra and Sangita Ratnakara of Sharangadeva, in generating Indian music.Sutra system and knowledge encoding strategies of the above-mentioned treatises. Demonstrating Grama, Moorchchhanas, Jati and Raga System and their classification systems using computers in contextualizing Indian music.

Session 3: What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Paradigms in AI, Rule-Based AI, Contemporary Applications of AI in Music. Artificial Musical Instruments- Tanapura, Flute, Guitar, Tabala, String Instruments and other technological advances

Lunch break

Session 4: Practical exercises- explorations into artificial musical instruments, understanding their structure – participants will be introduced to fundamental concepts of sound generation with hands-on exercises in a step-by-step manner.

Tea Break

Session 5: Practical exercises continued. Participants will make a presentation of their output.

 

Day II – 24th February

Session 1: Breaking Indian Classical Music into its computable elements : svara, s’ruti- quantification into numbers: frequencies. Indian Swaras and 22 Shrutis on computers based on Indian theoretical concepts. Raaga, aarohaNa, avarohaNa,: telling the computer about these features. Characteristics of Vadi, Samvadi, Graha, Amsha, Nyasa, Apanyasa, etc. and their significance in Raga presentation and Demonstrating – Varna, Alamkara, Gamaka etc. using computers.

Tea Break

Session 2: Music Generation Process- Understanding hierarchies and various levels of computational music generations process. Discussion on Artificial Intelligence strategies for generating Indian music.

Session 3: Generating musical composition- Analyzing the structure of a musical composition. Understanding the grammar of music making from computational point of view.

Lunch

Session 4: Practical-preparatory assignments to participants for generating music.

Tea Break

Session 5: Practical- assignments to participants for generating new musical composition.

Session 6: Presentations by participants

Course Details

Fees/Scholarships: The fee is Rs 7,000. It is inclusive of lunch and high teas. Students and researchers can apply for scholarships. The scholarship is granted on merit-cum-means basis. We have limited scholarships so you are encouraged to apply early.

Accommodation for outstation participants: The participants requiring accommodation can book their stay at the workshop venue (Bestwestern Skycity Hotel, Gurgaon) and multiple options located nearby, or contact us at mail@rishihood.edu.in for a bulk booking rate.

The participants will receive a certificate after completing the workshop.

 

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article belong to the author. Indic Today is neither responsible nor liable for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information in the article.

Leave a Reply

More about: