SoundGene (2012)

SoundGene is my project with David Gordon in 2012 to create a virtual ecosystem/instrument based on genetic algorithms. Each of the spheres represents a note while the snakelike creatures represent melodies. These creatures grow, mate, and give birth to evolve their DNA, which are the motifs that the user can insert or randomly generate. The fitness function was based on Clarence Barlow’s concept of ‘harmonicity’. We wanted to see if machine learning could grow motifs into full songs, or even make a ‘enjoyable’ result. This project has some room for more research such as the fitness functions and affinity, and I wish to resume research on this in the future.