What is Music++?
The goals of my "Music++" project are similar to the more familiar "Music Minus One" (MMO). MMO makes a recording of a piece of music for soloist and accompaniment, such as a sonata or concerto, where only the accompaniment is actually recorded. The music is prefaced by several warning clicks (something like Lawrence Welk's "and a one and a two and a ..."), and the soloist tries to play along with the recording. A heartfelt yet futile battle of wills follows which eventually results in the live player's unconditional surrender to the recording. Thus, contrary to both musical etiquette and common sense, the soloist must follow the accompaniment.

Although MMO has its heart in the right place, in practice it is the antithesis of what the musical experience should be. My project, Music++ (aka Music Plus One) tries to deliver the goods that MMO only promises. Specifically, my goals are that the program must
  • follow the soloist's tempo changes and expressive gestures,
  • the program must learn from past performances so that it assimilates the soloist's interpretation in future renditions,
  • it must bring a sense of musicality to the performance in addition to what is learned from the soloist. 
In this way Music++ adds to the soloist's experience by providing a responsive and nuanced accompaniment rather than subtracting from it by imposing a rigid framework that stifles musical expression.

My efforts in Music++ have been received with suspicion by some. "Why dehumanize music with your cold and unfeeling computers?" I assure the wary reader that my goal is not to take music out of the hands of people. To the contrary, my desire is just the opposite --- to make music available to the overwhelming majority of players who don't have a live accompanist handy, thereby getting more people involved with music. Many have found Music++ to be an invaluable tool in preparing for performance and learning new music. Additionally, Music++ enables the performance of music that would be unplayable otherwise --- several pieces for live instruments and electronics have been specifically written for my system. But most of all, Music++ transforms an otherwise sterile practice session into a more aesthetically satisfying, immediate, and fun experience. My hope is that many other musicians will come to enjoy the fuller musical experience afforded by my efforts.