A historical survey of computer music is presented. As the title suggests, this survey is written for the composer, in order to facilitate his access to the tools currently offered by technology. Approaches both to computer composition and to sound synthesis techniques are considered. These are discussed in terms of their music-theoretical implications, modes of man-machine communication, and hardware configurations. Under computer composition, the various degrees to which a digital computer can participate in the compositional process are discussed. As regards sound synthesis, both digital and hybrid techniques are considered. Throughout, the presentation is based on a discussion of specific systems, which provide a historical review of the field. In addition, extensive references are made to the existing literature, in order to direct the reader to additional information.
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