Moodtrack : practical methods for assembling emotion-driven music

Abstract

This thesis presents new methods designed for the deconstruction and reassembly of musical works based on a target emotional contour. Film soundtracks provide an ideal testing ground for organizing music around strict timing and emotional criteria. The approach to media analysis applies Minsky's ideas of frame-arrays to the context of film music, revealing musical and emotional cue points of a work. Media deconstructions provide a framework for the assembly of new musical material, leading to the creation of soundtracks using musical commonsense.