"Variations for WWW"
Network Music by MAX and the WWW
Seionshin Yamagishi
Keio University Computer Music Lab
5233 Endo, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0816 JAPAN
sns@sfc.keio.ac.jp
Kohji Setoh
Keio University Computer Music Lab
5233 Endo, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0816 JAPAN
setoh@ sfc.keio.ac.jp
Abstract
"Variations for WWW" is a network music application utilizing the interactive possibilities of the Internet. Users
who access this site compose or play a piece, called "Variations". These "Variations" are interactive: they can be
heard while they are created. "Variations" explores many possibilities of network music. It has established a
creative and interactive music environment which any capable netizen can access, and furthermore, this music flows
continuously as an installation in cyberspace. "Variations" is realized by an experimental way of connecting MAX
and the WWW. Such MAX-Web connection produces new possibilities of musical communication and collabolation.
1. Introduction
Ever since the mass emergence of the Internet, there has been much debate and many attempts to create new forms of
expression in various fields of art. A new artform can be produced by using the Internet as a medium of artistic
expression---and it has already been host to some intriguing works on the net. However, there has been little musical
work, until today, that uses interactive musical expression which is intrinsic to the nature of the network.
What are some these interesting characteristics of networking? One of them is interactivity as opposed to
unilaterality, and another is the idea of sharing as opposed to monopolizing. Given these concerns, our project
"Variations" seeks a mode of existence for musical expression on the network. "Variations" is a project that transforms the act of accesing a web-site into a process of composing/playing music interactively. A user/player can take
part in the playing of the "Variations" on the net by accessing the site.
In order to realize the main purpose of "Variations", we have experimented with connecting MAX and the Internet.
The main points of "Variations" are: to connect MAX and the Web, allow users to operate MAX from a web standard
browser as a client, and the use of MAX as a server. Therefore, "Variations" accepts any users' access from any
client--- hence, any browser or OS, and provides them with interesting musical feedback.
The "Variations" are derived from a main, or "kernel", theme. This kernel theme remains unchanged, yet the music is
continuously derived from it, with subtle variations induced. The "Variations" are various patterns obtained by
processing client data such as the name and access time of the user/player. During this process, "Variations" does
audio streaming by RealAudio to transmit the music back to the client. Users who access the site can collaborate in a
musical work, as well as listen to the work together with other participants. RealAudio is convenient: users don't
have to set up a complicated MIDI system, and they can play "Variations" with merely a web browser and a
RealAudio Plug-in.
Sharing an experience of playing/listening to music in a media-space brought into existence by the network, rather
than in a tactile space is what we believe to be a form of music in the network-age.
2. System
First, users access the web site "Variations", and input data via an html form. Next, the data is sent to the W server
via a CGI program. The data sent to the W server is received by MAX on a Macintosh running on the server side.
0
