Musical DNA

Assigned Reading
Musical DNA Podcast

Growing up NPR was constantly playing in my house; quiet could hardly ever be obtained because NPR was always playing somewhere throughout the house.  Which is probably why I enjoyed the homework assignment of listening to the Radio Lab podcasts.  Out of the two my favorite was the podcast on EMI the computer program that could compose music in the style of a famous composer.  At first I didn't understand the purpose of EMI because I thought that a normal (human) composer could accomplish the same task by listening to a piece and doing his/her best to replicate aspects of it.  What really changed my understanding of EMI was when pieces written by EMI were played in front of an audience and some people were unaware that it was composed by a computer program and were so openly moved by it.  Now, I'm torn between thinking EMI is a great invention and feeling annoyance for how EMI can trivialize the genius of someone's favorite composer.  I can see why David Cope received as much backlash as he did.  However, EMI should be looked at as a true gift.  EMI allows for the composer's musical DNA to live on and although EMI streamlines the creative process the end result is still beautiful.