Looking Back, Looking Forward: A Keynote Address for the 2015 International Computer Music Conference

Abstract

The invention of software in the mid-20th century was as big a breakthrough for modern humans as the mastery over fire was for our prehistoric ancestors; the addition of cognitive fluidity to hardware has resulted in an explosion of experimentation and creativity (which also poses some challenges). As is the case with any new technology, humans immediately set about using software to connect with one another and extend our networks of distributed cognition. Computer musicians are uniquely positioned to predict the future by composing it and coding it, because as a group we combine the imagination and daring of artists with the technology that can make the imaginary real.