“MUSIC” for Martians 
 

In this talk I will discuss how the hidden structure of music can be described as a complex data system using the tools of network theory. Network analysis methods exploit the use of graphs or networks as convenient tools for modeling relations in large data sets. If the elements of a data set are thought of as “nodes”, then the emergence of pairwise relations between them, “edges”, yields a network representation of the underlying set. Pairwise similarity relations between nodes, defined through the introduction of a measure of “distance” in the network, determine when individual nodes are connected (i.e., in a social network people are connected according to their acquaintances, collaborations, common interests, etc.). 
I will generalize the concept network in the representation of musical spaces (melody, harmony, rhythm, etc.) and derive functional principles of compositional design by the direct analysis of such networks. Finally, I will discuss how I use these ideas as foundation of my practice as composer and media artist.