-Music and Computer Science- Motivation, Analogies, and Experience-

Music and Computer Science: Motivation, Analogies, and Experience
Roger B. Dannenberg

Abstract. Music was once strongly connected to the study of science and mathematics. Just as Geometry represented the intersection of Mathematics and Space, Music represented the intersection of Mathematics and Time. In fact, musicians invented and defined the modern notion of time centuries before scientists made use of it. In modern times, we find that control constructs found in computer programs, such as sequences, loops, conditional execution, and subroutines, have analogues in music notation and performance. I would like to show how these analogies have been used to introduce young musicians to computer programming and to help them "visualize" program behavior. I will also share some experiences using music to teach computer science to undergraduates, for whom music and music processing is highly motivating.

Roger Dannenberg Bio
dannenberg-nsf-nov06.pdf