Case Studies of Physical Models in Music Composition

Physical modeling in computer music has been developing for twenty-five years. An assortment of algorithms, often in the form of "self-modeling" by musician / engineers, has accumulated and become available to composers. These software instruments have become material for composition and unveiling the range of designs forms the focus of this report. To a large extent, schemes applied in the works cited are reminiscent of schemes which employed "real" instrumental material in 20c contemporary music. We can test for uniqueness in the physical modeling approach and the likelihood that it is grist for "composers to continue to do what composers do" as new material is added or swapped for old.