Humanities Center

Humanities Center

Events for 2022-2023


Recent Event:

Digital Humanities Series:  David Dvorin,

"Artificial Intelligence in Music Making"

David Dvorin, music professor and zoom presenter

Department of Music and Theatre faculty member and composer David Dvorin will give an introductory session exploring the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) in music making. The presentation will trace the pathways starting from the algorithmic music-generating machines of the 1950s, the deterministic generators of the 1970s, the pioneering work of David Cope (Experiments in Musical Intelligence) in the 1980s-1990s, and finally ending with contemporary AI-assisted composition. David will show how modern musicians can access AI for their own music activities, not as a substitute for human creativity, but as a valuable interactive tool to generate ideas that make us think and hear differently.

David Dvorin is an Emmy-nominated composer, guitarist, author, and educator who has had his concert music performed in numerous new music and multimedia festivals around the United States and Europe. Versatile in both electronic and acoustic music mediums, he has written for and collaborated with such notable artists as Terry Riley, the California E.A.R. Unit and the Kronos Quartet. Regarded internationally as an expert on Apple’s Logic Pro software, his textbook, Logic Pro X: Advanced Music Production has been adopted by educational institutions worldwide, and is the basis for Apple Computer’s certified training. David has been on the faculty at California State University, Chico since 2006, teaching composition, electronic music and recording arts. In addition to his teaching and artistic activities, he is also the Artistic Director for the annual New Music Symposium, which showcases the work of young composers and brings acclaimed contemporary composers and performers to the North State area of California.


Soundscapes

The 2022-2023 Humanities Center theme, Soundscapes, explores perceptions and interpretations of acoustic environments in their respective cultural, political, and spatial contexts.  Ranging from the sounds of nature to a multitude of expressive forms such as music, poetry, dance, and storytelling, every culture has created distinctive soundscapes that shape our daily experiences and mediate our relationships to the world.  Events will highlight interdisciplinary humanities research and creative activity on this year’s theme. 

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