Music in nature

Saw the coolest thing Wednesday night at the Artist Saloon. Nick Bontrager, a local artist, has developed software that lays the movement of animals atop a musical grid. As the creatures, in this case - mice, ran about the surface, their movements generated strings of musical notes. Cleverly built, you can change the scale key, length and instrument sound with a touch of a button. Brilliant programming. Brilliant idea. You can see the footage on his blog.

I spoke with Nick briefly after his demonstration and he asked me what I liked best about it. Had to think on that one a sec - was I more intrigued by the complexity of the program or ingenuity of the project? I think in the end it is all about the music.

I think that the natural world has so much to offer artistically. Sunsets contain the most vivid colors. Animals with their silky fur or sleek and shiny skin. The sense of awe you feel in a violent thunderstorm. It seems only fitting that the natural movement of our creatures, when played out in multiple dimensions, creates a beauty all its own. The music from those little mice sounded like the tinkling of an old-fashioned jewelry box. Simply beautiful.

Comments

[spounds]

I went to his website and watched the video. Underneath it said "Accompanying Sheet Music." I think it should have been "Feet Music."

[Rachel]

Hee hee. Clever! Would love to see him compile a CD for the zoo like they do with the chimp paintings.