Enabling interactive music visualization for a wider community (midiVERTO)

This project aims at bridging the gap between mathematical music theory and music enthusiasts. In recent years, music theorists have discovered that the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) can be used to analyze the pitch-class content of pieces of music, for instance to compare the tonal organization of different pieces. It may also reveal interesting sections in a piece that eluded a theorist’s inspection. This technique has consequently opened up new avenues for both theoretical and historical music research. However, applying the DFT to music requires advanced mathematical and computational skills. Harnessing the full power of such a complex method so far remained restricted to only a small group of researchers.The app’s interactive interface enables scholars and students of music, as well as musicians, to employ the DFT method in their research, teaching, and musical practice. It is moreover ideally suited to explore and to teach visualization techniques for complex cultural data, for example in Digital Humanities.