A-Life for Music: Music and Computer Models of Living Systems

Artificial Life, or A-Life, aims at the study of all phenomena characteristic of natural living systems, through computational modeling, wetware-hardware hybrids, and other artificial media.  Its scope ranges from the investigation of the emergence of cognitive processes in natural or artificial systems to the development of life or life-like properties from inorganic components.  A number of musicians, in particular composers and musicologists, have started to turn to A-Life for inspiration and working methodology.  This edited volume features thirteen chapters written by researchers and practitioners in this exciting emerging field of computer music, and includes a CD with various examples of music related to A-Life.  Book, 301 p. with CD.