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cover of episode 86.  Math, Music, and Artificial Intelligence - Levi McClain Interview (Final Part)

86. Math, Music, and Artificial Intelligence - Levi McClain Interview (Final Part)

2024/2/18
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Breaking Math Podcast

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Summary

Levi McClean discusses various topics related to music, sound, and artificial intelligence. He explores what makes a sound scary, the intersection of art and technology, sonifying data, microtonal tuning, and the impact of using 31 notes per octave. Levi also talks about creating instruments for microtonal music and using unconventional techniques to make music. The conversation concludes with a discussion on understanding consonance and dissonance and the challenges of programming artificial intelligence to perceive sound like humans do.

Takeaways:

  • The perception of scary sounds can be analyzed from different perspectives, including composition techniques, acoustic properties, neuroscience, and psychology.
  • Approaching art and music with a technical mind can lead to unique and innovative creations.
  • Sonifying data allows for the exploration of different ways to express information through sound.
  • Microtonal tuning expands the possibilities of harmony and offers new avenues for musical expression.
  • Creating instruments and using unconventional techniques can push the boundaries of traditional music-making.
  • Understanding consonance and dissonance is a complex topic that varies across cultures and musical traditions.
  • Programming artificial intelligence to understand consonance and dissonance requires a deeper understanding of human perception and cultural context.

Chapters

00:00 What Makes a Sound Scary

03:00 Approaching Art and Music with a Technical Mind

05:19 Sonifying Data and Turning it into Sound

08:39 Exploring Music with Microtonal Tuning

15:44 The Impact of Using 31 Notes per Octave

17:37 Why 31 Notes Instead of Any Other Arbitrary Number

19:53 Creating Instruments for Microtonal Music

21:25 Using Unconventional Techniques to Make Music

23:06 Closing Remarks and Questions

24:03 Understanding Consonance and Dissonance

25:25 Programming Artificial Intelligence to Understand Consonance and Dissonance