Relay
Relay is a web application I developed with my friend Evan Lohn to
facilitate ensemble improvisation. It uses simple machine learning techniques to generate
evolving musical “cells” (short fragments of notation) that are displayed to an ensemble of
improvising musicians. As the musicians improvise together and in response to the cells, they
receive lists of new and recycled cells and are prompted to select material for one another. The
musicians collectively shape the direction of the improvisation and together, they produce a
dynamic, non-hierarchical, and collectively authored score in real time.
facilitate ensemble improvisation. It uses simple machine learning techniques to generate
evolving musical “cells” (short fragments of notation) that are displayed to an ensemble of
improvising musicians. As the musicians improvise together and in response to the cells, they
receive lists of new and recycled cells and are prompted to select material for one another. The
musicians collectively shape the direction of the improvisation and together, they produce a
dynamic, non-hierarchical, and collectively authored score in real time.
This is an example of one of the generated scores after a session with Relay:
