Anticipation in collaborative music performance using fuzzy systems: a case study

Abstract

In order to collaborate and co-create with humans, an AI system must be capable of both reactive and anticipatory behavior. We present a case study of such a system in the domain of musical improvisation. We consider a duo consisting of a human pianist accompained by an off-the-shelf virtual drummer, and we design an AI system to control the perfomance parameters of the drummer (e.g., patterns, intensity, or complexity) as a function of what the human pianist is playing. The AI system utilizes a model elicited from the musicians and encoded through fuzzy logic. This paper outlines the methodology, design, and development process of this system. An evaluation in public concerts is upcoming. This case study is seen as a step in the broader investigation of anticipation and creative processes in mixed human-robot, or "anthrobotic" systems.