The Sonic Spaces Project, is comprised of the composition of and research into sonic ecosystems. These sonic ecosystems are a sub-type of interactive music systems that model relationship principles from natural soundscapes and whose interface is the entire sonic space of a room. Interactive music systems rely on related disciplines such as music informatics, computer science, soundscape art, soundscape ecology, experience design, and interactive art to create music. Interactive music systems can be used as; collaborators with human-performers, as an extension of an instrument, to assist with composition of notated music, or to make music with other machines. Sonic ecosystems are interactive music systems that are comprised of one or more software-agents, which listen to each other, as well as any other human-agents in the installation space. The software-agents of these systems listen for specific acoustic properties in the sonic energy (also referred to as sound, or music). If the sonic energy in the room matches these specifications, then the software-agent consumes that music, processes the music, and returns this transformed music to the space. Other software-agents can then transform this music or sonic energy into something new that is then also played back into the space.

The research and composition of these sonic ecosystems has been labeled as The Sonic Spaces Project. The project has been developing compositional approaches for this type of interactive music system since 2011, which has resulted in the completion of a number of distinct systems, each consisting of multiple iterations. This work has been inspired and informed by a number of artists and researchers, as well as from soundwalk practices.

Related Publications

Practice-Led Research / Research-Led Practice Identifying the Theory and Technique of Sonic Space Ecosystems

Michael Musick
Ph.D. Thesis, New York University, New York, NY, 2016

Improving and Adapting Finite State Transducer Methods for Musical Accompaniment

J.P. Forsyth, R. Bittner, M. Musick, J. Bello
Improving and Adapting Finite State Transducer Methods for Musical Accompaniment
41th International Computer Music Conference (ICMC), Denton, TX, 2015

Building a Harmonically Ecosystemic Machine: Combining Sonic Ecosystems with Models of Contemporary Harmonic Language

M. Musick, J.P. Forsyth, R. Bittner
Building a Harmonically Ecosystemic Machine: Combining Sonic Ecosystems with Models of Contemporary Harmonic Language
41th International Computer Music Conference (ICMC), Denton, TX, 2015

Timbral Hauntings: An Interactive System Re-Interpreting the Present in Echoes of the Past

M. Musick and T. H. Park
Timbral Hauntings: An Interactive System Re-Interpreting the Present in Echoes of the Past
40th International Computer Music Conference (ICMC) and 11th Sound and Music Computing (SMC) conference, Athens, Greece. 2014

Examining the Analysis of Dynamical Sonic Ecosystems: in Light of a Criterion for Evaluating Theories

M. Musick
Examining the Analysis of Dynamical Sonic Ecosystems: in Light of a Criterion for Evaluating Theories
40th International Computer Music Conference (ICMC) and 11th Sound and Music Computing (SMC) conference, Athens, Greece. 2014