Technology and music are constantly interacting: the invention of the sustain pedal on the pianoforte birthed the entire repertoire of Chopin. Perhaps less dramatically obvious is the steadily growing influence of computer-or-electronically-generated music. Of course, the early 20th-century Italian Futurists experimented with electronic sounds, and Steve Reich created countless tape loop compositions, but the popularity of YouTube enables all sorts of musical experiments to circulate freely, available to anyone. Move over MTV and VH1! Here comes the Geek TV. Below are three gems picked for viewing and listening wonder (if not always pleasure).
If someone ever wondered what the stock market might sound like if set to music, he now need wonder no more. A computer program converts index graphs from various companies into sheets of music. Each individual company is voiced by a corresponding individual in the choir; all together, the choir offers an aural account of the daily highs and lows of the Nasdaq index. Intrigued? Listen to even more here.
Sporting electric pick-ups like any rock band, this string quartet adds new pizazz to old favorites. Perhaps their most famous performance is a whirlwind "History of Music." This compilation of all the hit tunes in music from Greensleeves to Bernard Hermann's theme from Psycho spans several centuries, from classical to the "classics" in rock. Any music buff worth his treble clef will enjoy this brief game of Name That Tune.
Music Animation Machine: J.S. Bach's Toccata and Fugue
Perhaps the purist seeking a visual complement to music will still prefer to hold the score and follow along that way, but the Music Animation Machine allows anyone to keep up with the music. Better than the bouncing ball, the MAM color-coordinates the different voices and uses varying lengths of bars to indicate duration. Especially handy in the case of viewing a fugue is the recognizable shape of the subject and countersubject (more recognizable than in the score).
Anyone wishing to try his hand at making a little animated music himself should investigate the program Tapper. After downloading the program, the participant can open any midi file on his computer, and the program will automatically convert the notes to a visual page. In an interactive move similar to Playstation 2's Guitar Hero (a virtual guitar), the participant exerts a small level of control over the pace of the music, tapping various keys in order to move the music along.
