World Academy of Irish Music and Dance at Limerick

Traditionable Machines will explore how musical AI can be embodied with a focus on traditional music. The starting point of this investigation will be LOERIC, a music performance system for Irish traditional dance music built by Amerotti, capable of performing and improvising on folk tunes in real time in response to human playing.

LOERIC was not designed with embodiment in mind: in what ways can this technology be embodied, and what considerations are necessary in the context of traditional music practice? Under the lenses of practice-led and performance–led research, we aim to find ways of embodying musical AI ethically and respectfully through a continuous dialogue between traditional practice and technological development.

This project will look at this through the angles of musical Practice, Sociality and Performance.

The Practice angle will look at how musical AI can be embedded in the everyday practice of music: could we augment and design AI-powered instruments? Could we use AI to create “practice buddies” for music education?

The Sociality angle will consider how musical AI can be made present in social spaces: could AI host or attend traditional music sessions? Could it play background music at your wedding? What does it take for it to be socially acceptable?

The Performance angle will explore how musical AI can power performance: can AI be a musical partner you trust? Could it be used in a recording studio? How can it meaningfully engage with an audience?

Bob Sturm’s group at KTH

World Academy of Irish Music and Dance at Limerick

Andrew McPherson’s augmented instruments group at Imperial

Outputs and Highlights

The Virtual Session: Synchronizing Multiple Virtual Musicians Simulating an Irish Traditional Music Session – Marco Amerotti, Steve Benford, Bob L.T. Sturm, Juan Martinez Avila. Paper Session 50th Anniversary International Computer Music Conference, June 8-14 2025, Boston – 3B: Composition, Performance, and Interactive Systems 3 Negotiating Autonomy and Trust when Performing with an AI Musician – Steve Benford, Marco Amerotti, Bob Sturm, Juan Martinez Avila.

Negotiating Autonomy and Trust when Performing with an AI Musician. TAS ’24: Proceedings of the Second International Symposium on Trustworthy Autonomous Systems. Article No.6, Pages 1 – 10

The Leoric Sessions – Reimagining Contemporary Folk with Rosie, Jamie and an AI performer