Central Carolina C.C.'s Schmidl to present at Worldcomp '08
April 11, 2008

SANFORD - A research paper on music composition using methods inspired by genetics has earned Dr. Harald Schmidl, Central Carolina Community College computer information technology instructor, a place as a presenter at the Worldcomp '08 International Conference on Genetic and Evolutionary Methods. The conference takes place July 14-17 in Las Vegas.

The paper, "Pseudo-Genetic Algorithmic Composition," discusses computer generated music composition using methods inspired by genetics, in particular, mutation and inheritance.

"This lends itself well to a theme and variation approach as used in traditional composition styles, such as canon, fugue, or counterpoint," Schmidl said.

Only 26 percent of papers submitted for presentation were accepted by the conference. Schmidl, who teaches five classes a semester, carried out his research in his spare time over the last few years.

Schmidl, a Durham resident, grew up in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. He came to the United States in 1993 and earned his doctorate from the University of Miami in 2002. Prior to coming to CCCC, he was a researcher in computer animation, developing realistic simulations of the movements of bodies in a crowd. He has been a full-time faculty member at Central Carolina C.C. since 2006.

For more information on Central Carolina Community College, go online to www.cccc.edu . For more information on Worldcomp '08, go to < http://www.world-academy-of-science.org/worldcomp08/ws/conferences >.

.