The P22 Music Text Composition Generator allows any text to be converted into a musical composition. This composition is displayed in musical notation and simultaneously generated as a midi file.
1. Usage
- Type or copy any text into the Text Field.
- Give the file a unique name.
- Set the Beats Per Minute (BPM)
- Select your instrument
- Click on “Generate your music”. The composition will display and play. You may save your midi file for future use and print your sheet music for live instrument performances.
A short text may be best at a slow pace (IE 10 BPM) whereas a longer text may prove more engaging at 1200 BP. Texts where phrases are repeated often (like P22 Music Text Composition Generator) provide recurring musical phrasing that is truly astounding. Length of visual score is limited and longer text may not render onscreen or print to full capacity.
In some browsers (Safari 2 or greater), the ability to play real time multi-tracking can allow for complex compositions. Simply follow steps 1-4 repeatedly altering instrument and BPM rate. For browsers that do not allow simultaneous midi files to be played, multiple browser windows can be opened and “performed” at the same time.
The generated musical text does not claim copyright nor imply any rights from the text used. Creative Commons copyright is granted for all musical compositions generated by the P22 Music Text Composition Generator.
2. History
The P22 Music Composition Font was proposed in 1997 to the John Cage Trust as an accompaniment to the John Cage text font based on the handwriting of the composer. The idea was basic and simple-every letter of the alphabet was assigned to a note on a scale. This would allow for any text to be converted into musical notation. The idea was rejected by the John Cage Trust, however the John Cage Silence font based on his famous 4’33” composition was accepted and continues to be offered for sale to this day. An earlier project based on the work of Marcel Duchamp was also influential in the evolution of this project. This page and current project has no affiliation with John Cage, the John Cage Trust or the Marcel Duchamp estate.
3. P22 Music Pro
P22 Music Pro is a unique font system that expands on the concept used in the Music Text Composition Generator. It allows the user to compose music with text editing and page layout programs capable of OpenType features and contextual substitutions. P22 Music Pro covers a wide range of symbols and notation used in traditional western music composition. P22 Music Pro requires an application that uses OpenType features and is capable of contextual substitutions, such as Adobe InDesign or Illustrator.
The font used in the P22 MTCG is a basic version that closely follows the initial Cage inspired idea. Each letter, number and punctuation mark is assigned a note on the C major scale. When the user generates their composition the same substitutions are applied to their text that P22 Music Pro font performs. These substitutions are based on the frequency of phonetic sounds and letters in the English language corresponding to the most common ranges in the human voice and note durations. For more information about the font click here.
4. Requirements
Requirements: Best rendered on an up-to-date browser with the QuickTime Plug-in and Flash Player 9 installed. Tested browsers: Mac: Firefox, Safari (version 2+), Windows: Firefox, Internet Explorer.
Disclaimer: This on-line application is intended for entertainment purposes only. No technical support is provided other than the notes on this page. The interface, note:glyph assignment, and therefore final results, may vary and change at anytime. It may not work on all browsers.
Designed by Colin Kahn from an idea by Richard Kegler. A P22 venture. This project is Creative Commons license ©2007 some rights reserved.
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