‘Harmonic mathematics’
The basis for this is as sophisticated as the idea. It uses something that Ball developed called “harmonic mathematics.” Harmonic mathematics moves elements of a visual or melodic image around at various speeds. It’s a way of making these elements come together at different points.
“The reason we like chords in music is because we are hearing a choreography that’s very ordered,” explains Ball. “What I’ve done with harmonic math is find a way to replicate that, only much slower so you actually see the motion or hear it in the form of a gradually changing, melodic repetitive shape.”
Ball notes that creating the site presented several challenges. The program must be capable of producing millions of musical combinations to ensure that each person’s piece is unique. Also, Snowdon had to write code that would allow the software to run simultaneously on four servers that could process compositions in parallel for people around the globe.
The latter proved particularly important considering the sheer volume of visitors. Since its launch in late April, the site has received hundreds of thousands of hits, according to Ball. In its first 11 days, the Method generated 3,500 musical compositions.
While the site is breaking new ground in digital technology and music, Ball admits that its potential creates more work for the future. Discussions between Townshend, Ball, and Snowdon continue regarding where the site will go creatively and commercially.
Down the road, Ball sees the Method providing users an outlet for combinational creativity. “You can put your piece of music alongside a friend of yours and see what the two compositions sound like together,” he explains.
The site also engages visitors commercially. Townshend and Ball are always on the lookout for intriguing compositions that have the potential for further development into music released as part of a Who album or a collection of Method music.
Share in royalties
This means possible profits for site visitors. If a piece of music is chosen, the person who sat for the composition will not own the copyright, but he or she will get paid.
“Say, for instance, that I elaborate your piece and Pete likes what I did with it and makes it into a song,” Ball says. “You would get a third of the royalties, and you would be invited along to a concert where your piece and the song based on it would be performed.”
The concert to which Ball refers is the Method concert, which will serve as an exhibition of site visitors’ musical portraits.
Ball himself made a contribution to The Who’s latest album Endless Wire. The CD’s first track, “Fragments,” opens with a Method-style piece of music that he composed.
“The backing track for ‘Fragments’ is based on a track from my double album Method Music,” he recounts. “It’s got a funny history, that piece. It started out as my tribute to ‘Baba O’Riley’ [from the album ‘Who’s Next’], and it just happened that it was Pete’s favorite track.”
There’s no telling from where the next favorite will come or from whom. With today’s technology, anyone can play a role in music history.