UC San Diego

In today's world of too much information, context -not content- is king. This proposal is for the development of an unparalleled sonic analysis tool that converts audio files into musical score notation and a Web site (API) to collect manage and preserve information about the musical sounds analyzed, as well as music scores, videos, and articles on music. By combining currently available software with custom created programs in a novel way, this project revolutionizes the field of music by empowering general and expert users with the ability to put information in a context never before imaginable. Applying the Wikipedia model, user created data will be available through a Web site to users at all times for no cost. The data will be searchable through innumerable variations of custom filters -like those of a travel Web site- and employ a newly conceived poetic search engine that has question-answering capabilities currently unavailable. Eventually, this database will become the largest source of information (including sounds, scores, articles, and recordings) on musical instruments and scholarship in the world.

This project defines innovation by radically changing the way researchers search and obtain information, therefore, changing the way they think about information, and changing the way they create with information. In summary, the project leverages what computers do best - organize, store and analyze data - permitting humans to spend more time doing what they do best - art.