Evolutionary music

Abstract

Evolutionary Music is one of the more recent areas in the Evolutionary Computation domain where music is created, arranged or improvised using computers. The goal in evolutionary music research is to create an intelligent system which produces aesthetically pleasing music to the user based the application of evolutionary algorithms such as genetic algorithms and some form of music structure representation.

In the previous versions of EVM, more attention has been paid towards music composition. EVM 4.0 will expand on the domain of music evolution where melodies are evolved and evaluated by explicitly defined structural fitness functions as well as user preference input for optimization.

The report first introduces the background theory of genetic algorithms and a literature review on the different features of a melody which can be used for music analysis. Subsequently, the report will cover details on the design and implementation of the system. Next, would be an analysis on the strengths and weakness of the implemented system. Finally, the report concludes with suggestions for future exploration and enhancement.