Intentionally Passive Music Composition

Intentionally passive music composition has interested me for quite some time. This is the idea that we can create music by strategically planning for specific outcomes to create beautiful music; such as harnessing gravity, nature or the elements to create music organically.

One of my favorite recent examples of this is Conductor, which harnesses the NYC subway system and turns it into an interactive string instrument. Using the MTA’s actual subway schedule, the piece begins in real-time by spawning trains which departed in the last minute, then continues accelerating through a 24 hour loop.

Read more about music composition in the digital age here.