Abstract:

We describe a multi-agent systems which composes in real-time, using negotiation as the active compositional technique. In one version of the system, creative agents’ output is written to disk; during performance, a curatorial agent selects prior-composed movements and assembles a complete musical composition. The resulting score is then displayed to musicians, and performed live. A second version of the system is described, in which the real-time interaction is performed immediately by a mechanical musical instrument, and a human instrumentalist’s performance data is included in system as being one of the agents (a human agent).