Music, Expectation, and Information Theory

Dr. D. Gareth Loy

Gareth, Inc.

Date: Friday, November 30, 2007
Place: Buchanan 1940
Time: 2:00 pm — 3:00 pm


Abstract:

Successful music attracts and holds the listener's interest by dynamically manipulating the listener's expectations. Music is a form of currency where musicians give expectation and listeners return interest and attention. Surprisal, a kernel concept of information theory, is an affect of expectation. Information theory provides a quantitative framework for understanding surprisal. Therefore, information theory can contribute to a theory of musical expectation, meaning, and emotion in music. This presentation introduces key ideas of information theory and points in the direction of a theory of musical expectation.

GARETH LOY is a musician and award-winning composer. He has published widely and, during a long and successful career at the cutting edge of multimedia computing, has worked as a researcher, lecturer, programmer, software architect, and digital systems engineer. He is President of Gareth, Inc., a provider of software engineering and consulting services internationally.

Host: Stephen T. Pope, Media Arts and Technology