April 4, 2026
No AI, Big Riff Energy
Introduction to Computer Music [pdf]
Free music textbook drops—fans cheer, skeptics ask: where’s the AI
TLDR: Nick Collins released his computer music textbook for free, sparking cheers for its back-to-basics approach and groans over zero AI coverage. Commenters split between loving solid fundamentals and insisting modern music education must address AI, with side notes comparing it to heavier tomes and linking similar resources.
Composer Nick Collins just set his “Introduction to Computer Music” free online after the rights reverted back to him—originally a 2009 book, now yours for zero dollars. The crowd went from applause to side-eye in seconds. One camp is thrilled it’s shorter than the hulking classic by Curtis Roads, cue the collective sigh of relief and jokes about finally finishing a music book before retirement. Another camp is grumbling: it’s 2025 and there’s no chapter on AI (artificial intelligence) music? The thread riffs on that “elephant in the room,” with some calling the omission bold, others calling it outdated on arrival.
Beyond the AI drama, the biggest vibe clash is about how to learn music in the first place. Some folks hate the “math-first” approach and cheer Collins’s focus on ears, instruments, timbre (tone color), and actual history—more vibes, fewer vectors. Meanwhile, longtime fans gush over Collins’s maker cred, shouting out his “Handmade Music,” and one user drops a helpful side-quest link to a similar intro by Prof. Jeffrey Hass here.
So yes: free fundamentals, clean explanations (hello, MIDI = Musical Instrument Digital Interface), and a battle of feel vs. formulas. The finale? A split crowd: back-to-basics purists jamming, AI hawks demanding remixes, and everyone arguing in perfect 4/4 time.
Key Points
- •The book is authored by Nick Collins and includes a preface to a free edition, usage guidance, and conventions.
- •Acknowledgements credit numerous researchers and colleagues for reviews, proofreading, and feedback, and thank Wiley for production support.
- •Chapter 1 defines computer music, provides examples and motivations, and offers a quickstart on core audio and digital concepts.
- •The quickstart covers time and frequency domains, digital audio, filters, timbre, spatialization, signal flow, software, programming, and representation of music.
- •Chapter 2 begins with a history of recording and includes coverage of MIDI as a core interfacing technology.