Track-based music performance architecture

A computer that is programmed to perform steps comprising:

• defining a plurality of track objects representing different musical tracks that can be played together to form a musical piece;
• defining a segment object that represents the musical piece wherein the segment object references the track objects;
• repeatedly instructing the segment object to play a time-delineated portion of the musical piece;
• in response to being instructed to play the time-delineated portion of the musical piece, calling the plurality of track objects from the segment object to play time-delineated portions of the different musical tracks.

One or more computer-readable storage media containing instructions that are executable to implement an application programming interface, the application programming interface having methods comprising:

• a segment play method that is callable to play a time-delineated portion of a musical piece;
• a segment load method that loads a segment data stream containing track performance data for the track objects;
• a segment length method that is invoked to specify a length of the musical piece;
• a segment repeat method that is invoked to specify a number of times the musical piece is to be repeated;
• a segment start method that is invoked to specify a time within the musical piece at which playback is to be started;
• a segment loop method that is invoked to specify start and end points of a repeating part of the musical piece;
• a get track method that returns a reference to an identified track object;
• an insert track method that specifies to the segment object that an identified track object forms part of the musical piece;
• a remove track method that specifies to the segment object that an identified track object no longer forms part of the musical piece;
• a segment initialize method that initializes the track objects prior to playback of the musical piece.