LogoRhythms: Introductory Audio Programming for Computer Musicians in a Functional Language Paradigm

Teaching computer music presents opportunities and challenges at both secondary and university levels by bringing together students with widely varying exposures to and interests for mathematics and computer programming. Visual languages like MAX/MSP are popular with many musicians, but the idiom doesn't necessarily transfer well to a text language such as Java or C++, languages that might be used in a wider variety of programming problems. Our design challenge with LogoRhythms was to create a forgiving text based API that allows the neophyte programmer to explore programming and low-level digital audio manipulations. Since any musical composition is essentially a novel program, the opportunity for custom software is endless and the programming task given as a creative endeavor. LogoRhythms encourages functional style programming. Examples are provided showing lists and higher order functions used to create simple harmonies and melodies with a discussion of how to balance abstracting elegance with "abstracting elusiveness"