Abstract: Systems and methods for creating, modifying, interacting with and playing music are provided, particularly systems and methods employing a top-down process, where the user is provided with a musical composition that may be modified and interacted with and played and/or stored (for later play). The system preferably is provided in a handheld form factor, and a graphical display is provided to display status information, graphical representations of musical lanes or components which preferably vary in shape as musical parameters and the like are changed for particular instruments or musical components such as a microphone input or audio samples.

Abstract: A method for playing a song of a particular musical style is disclosed. Program instructions are executed, and one or more music composition algorithms are applied to song data in accordance with a song data structure to generate music output for the song. A plurality of levels of predetermined musical styles are determined, and values of one or more parameters in accordance with the song data structure are limited to predetermined ranges corresponding to the particular musical style. A first user input is received for selecting a particular musical style. A second user input is received for one or more musical components, and music characteristics in accordance with the song data structure corresponding to the musical components are modified in accordance with the user input, and the user input modifies the values of one or more parameters within the predetermined ranges. In response to the user input a modified song may be created based on user modifications to the music characteristics.