Musical algorithms as tools, languages, and partners : a perspective

In this chapter we introduce the landscape of algorithmic music, and point to some of its burning and future possibilities. We also use the chapter to provide some guidance as to how we have organized the book, and where major topics are discussed: we summarized the structure in the next paragraph, and comments on individual articles in the book are made throughout this chapter. The book has been arranged to provide contrasting views on core topics, on the one hand, from theories and analysis and, on the other, from practitioners. Happily for us, in many cases our authors pursue both types of involvement. But we have asked another group of authors (who contribute the Perspectives on Practice chapters) to foreground their own thoughts about algorithmic music and how they make it. At the same time, we have encouraged all authors to give specific musical examples of what they discuss, and to feel free to mention their own work.