Repurposing a Rhythm Accompaniment System for Pipe Organ Performance

Nicholas Evans; Behzad Haki; Sergi Jorda

Repurposing a Rhythm Accompaniment System for Pipe Organ Performance
Image credit: Nicholas Evans; Behzad Haki; Sergi Jorda

Abstract:

This paper presents an overview of a human-machine collaborative musical performance by Raül Refree utilizing multiple MIDI-enabled pipe organs at Palau Güell, as part of the Organic concert series. Our earlier collaboration focused on live performances using drum generation systems, where generative models captured rhythmic transient structures while ignoring harmonic information. For the organ performance, we required a system capable of generating harmonic sequences in real-time, conditioned on Refree’s performance. Instead of developing a comprehensive state-of-the-art model, we integrated a more traditional generative method to convert our pitch-agnostic rhythmic patterns into harmonic sequences. This paper details the development process, the creative and technical considerations behind the final performance, and a reflection on the efficacy and adaptability of the chosen methodology.