Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
This is a live-stream of the lecture. An edited version of the lecture will be uploaded in due course.
Have a Question? No Registration Required
https://app.sli.do/event/4Stz7Uu6qyWQy6puVnYFVS
A lecture by Milton Mermikides
From ninth-century Arabic musical automata to the vast, electricity-driven synthesizer of 1896, the idea of machines making music is far older than we might imagine. Digital technologies continue this trajectory in astonishing ways, giving millions the musical powers unimaginable a century ago, and creating a strange ‘arts race’ between human and machine.
But can a machine truly understand music, or only simulate it? As we increasingly integrate technology into our creative lives – and even our bodies – this lecture asks where our musical selves end and that of our machine collaborators begin.
The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website:
gresham.ac.uk/whats-on/machines-music
Gresham College has offered free public lectures for over 400 years, thanks to the generosity of our supporters. There are currently over 2,500 lectures free to access. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest minds. To support Gresham's mission, please consider making a donation: gresham.ac.uk/support
Website: gresham.ac.uk
Twitter: twitter.com/greshamcollege
Facebook: facebook.com/greshamcollege
Instagram: instagram.com/greshamcollege
This is a live-stream of the lecture. An edited version of the lecture will be uploaded in due course.
Have a Question? No Registration Required
https://app.sli.do/event/4Stz7Uu6qyWQy6puVnYFVS
A lecture by Milton Mermikides
From ninth-century Arabic musical automata to the vast, electricity-driven synthesizer of 1896, the idea of machines making music is far older than we might imagine. Digital technologies continue this trajectory in astonishing ways, giving millions the musical powers unimaginable a century ago, and creating a strange ‘arts race’ between human and machine.
But can a machine truly understand music, or only simulate it? As we increasingly integrate technology into our creative lives – and even our bodies – this lecture asks where our musical selves end and that of our machine collaborators begin.
The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website:
gresham.ac.uk/whats-on/machines-music
Gresham College has offered free public lectures for over 400 years, thanks to the generosity of our supporters. There are currently over 2,500 lectures free to access. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest minds. To support Gresham's mission, please consider making a donation: gresham.ac.uk/support
Website: gresham.ac.uk
Twitter: twitter.com/greshamcollege
Facebook: facebook.com/greshamcollege
Instagram: instagram.com/greshamcollege
