Toronto 2000: Musical Intersections

1
Toronto 2000 Musical Intersections

• ATMI Program
• Saturday, November 4, 2000

2
Creating Web-based Applications for Post-Tonal
Theory

• Reginald Bain
• University of South Carolina
• School of Music

3
Abstract

• This presentation discusses issues
  surrounding the design and implementation of two
  Web-based Dynamic HTML applications,
  AtonalAssistant and MatrixMaker, that aid in the
  analysis and composition of post-tonal music.
  The former is a tool for musical set theory, the
  latter a tool for generating pitch-class matrices
  and performing serial operations.

4
Presentation Web Site http//www.music.sc.edu/fac
ultystaff/bain/atmi00/

• Presentation handout
• PowerPoint Presentation
• List of References
• Links
• Code examples

5
History of the Project
6
Program Development History

• The original algorithms were coded in symbolic
  programming languages
• LISP
• ObjectLogo
• The current generation of code modules will use
  Dynamic HTML

7
What tool should I use this time?

• C?
• Java?
• DHTML (HTML/JavaScript/CSS)?

8
Tool Requirements

• Run fast
• Cross-platform (Win/Mac)
• Cross-browser implementation (Navigator/IE)
• Code must be modular and easy to maintain and
  upgrade
• Interactive MIDI Playback
• Allow for the integration of interactive
  definitions, exercises, and calculation tools
  within a single human interface

9
Dynamic HTML

• Dynamic HTML (DHTML) is an abstract term that
  refers to animating, hiding, showing, stacking,
  and formatting HTML content on the screen using
  JavaScript. Dynamic HTML first became possible
  within Navigator 4 and Internet Explorer 4
  through proprietary features and DOM extensions
  of each browser.
• From Netscapes Dynamic HTML Developer Central
• http//developer.netscape.com/tech/dynhtml/dynhtml
  .html

10
Could DHTML do the job?

• Dr. Stephen Taylors (Illinois State
  University) 1997 ATMI Presentation
• SetFinder A JavaScript Pitch-Class Set
  Calculator for the Internet.

Web-site http//www.arts.ilstu.edu/staylor/setfi
nder/
11
Adding Interactive MIDI Audio

• Headspaces Beatnik
• Beatnik Web Authoring Doc
• Music Object API

12
Advantages of a Web-based Approach

• Potentially available to a huge Web audience
• Easy to integrate DHTML applications within HTML
  pages
• Open architecture of JavaScript makes code
  potentially extensible by the user who can script

13
Other Factors

• I had already created a large number of HTML
  pages including
• JavaScript calculation tools with with hyperlinks
  to glossary definitions
• Interactive analytical diagrams

14
Calculation Tools within a HyperText Environment

• Due to the technical nature of much
  post-tonal theory, it is imperative for students
  to have convenient access to precise definitions
  of set theoretical and serial terminology at all
  levels of study

15
Interactive Analytical Diagrams

• I have found that analytical diagrams with
  interactive MIDI playback not only provide
  helpful and immediate aural feedback, but also
  allow the student to explore the compositional
  potential of an abstract musical structure

16
Disadvantages of a Web-based Approach

• The programmer loses a great deal of control over
  the programs human interface design elements
• The programmer cannot write a data file to the
  users hard drive without special permission
• DHTML program development is significantly
  different than traditional program development

17
Software Design Implementation
18
Forte Rahn

• Previous versions of this software were based on
  the terminology and algorithms established in
• Forte, Allen. The Structure of Atonal Music. New
  Haven Yale University Press, 1973.
• Rahn, John. Basic Atonal Theory. New York
  Longman, 1980.

19
Straus Lester

• The present generation of this software is
  compatible with the following two generally
  available texts
• Straus, Joseph. Introduction to Post-Tonal
  Theory, 2nd edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ
  Prentice , 2000.
• Lester, Joel. Analytic Approaches to
  Twentieth-Century Music. New York W. W. Norton,
  1989.

20
Advantages of Compatibility with Available Texts

• Software can be used to check answers to
  end-of-chapter exercises
• Software converts between the system used in one
  book to the system used by another e.g.,
  fixed-zero (Straus 2000) to movable-zero (Lester
  1989) pitch-class notation
• Can be used in place of the appendices in the
  back of these books
• Allows you to see all of the steps in a
  relatively complex algorithm for any pitch-class
  set

21
Castine

• Castine, Peter. Set Theory Objects Abstractions
  for Computer-Aided Analysis and Composition of
  Serial and Atonal Music. Frankfurt am Main Peter
  Lang, 1994.
• Presents a brief historical survey of theoretical
  developments in the field
• Covers issues surrounding the creation of
  computer tools for atonal and serial music
• User-oriented software design issues
• Software implementation issues

22
Presently Two Types of Web-based Software

• 1. Interactive HTML Pages
• 2. DHTML Applications
• A. Frames
• B. No frames

23
Interactive HTML Pages

• HTML pages enhanced with interactive MIDI
  playback...

24
Interactive HTML Pages (cont.)

• or video animations that integrate score,
  analytical symbols and audio examples into a
  single HTML presentation

25
DHTML Applications

• Stand-alone DHTML applications allow the
  programmer to conveniently develop and test code
  modules

26
To frame or not to frame?

• MatrixMaker presently does not employ frames,
  AtonalAssistant does

27
640x480 or 800x600?
28
Ultimate Project Goal

• To integrate this collection of HTML pages,
  DHTML applications, and interactive analytical
  aids into an e-book on the topic of post-tonal
  theory that will be distributed via CD-ROM and/or
  the Web

29
Technical Requirements
30
Content Creation Distribution Tools

• Netscape Navigator 4 or Microsoft Internet
  Explorer 4
• Barebones BBEdit for Macintosh
• Headspace Beatnik Music Object API Beatnik
  Player Plug-in
• Macromedia Flash
• Apple QuickTime Pro Plug-in
• Macromedia Dreamweaver with Beatnik ActionSet
  (optional)

31
Headspace Beatnik

• Beatnik Player (Plug-in)
• Beatnik Music Object API
• Basic EZ Sonifier
• Beatnik ActionSet for Dreamweaver
• Beatnik Xtra for Director
• More info. at http//www.beatnik.com/software/

32
Program Features
33
AtonalAssistantFeatures to include

• Pitch-class (pc) set entry/display
• Keyboard
• PC Integer
• PC Letter Name
• Interactive playback via Beatnik
• Interval operations and relations
• Set operations and relations
• Set membership and cardinality
• Twelve Tone Operations
• Other Operations (M, order, combinations, etc.)
• Invariance
• Combinatoriality

• Normal form
• Prime form
• Set class enumeration
• Degree of symmetry
• Fortes interval class vector
• Chrismans adjacent interval vector
• Lewins Interval Function
• Fortes Set Complex
• And more
• As defined in Castine 1994

34
MatrixMakerFeatures to include

• Series entry/display
• Keyboard
• PC Integer
• PC Letter Name
• Fixed-zero and movable zero pc notation
• Database of series by Schoenberg, Webern, Berg,
  Stravinsky, et al.
• Interactive playback via Beatnik
• Integration with AtonalAssistant

• Twelve Tone Operations
• Series relations
• Matrices
• Babbitt Square (12x12)
• Stravinsky Rotational Arrays
• And so on...
• Combinatoriality
• Series derivation
• Wuorinen Time Point Translation
• And more
• As defined in Straus 2000

35
Examples