Video: The stories Mari Lesteberg tells won’t put her on the New York Times’ bestseller list, but that doesn’t make them any less fantastic. Watching her simple side-scrolling tale of a little girl venturing into a dark cave isn’t terribly exciting, until you realise the artwork is actually playing the accompanying soundtrack using the tiny piano on the far left.
Mari uses a software tool called MIDI — short for Musical Instrument Digital Interface — that allows electronic instruments like synthesizers and drum machines to be controlled from a computer. That’s a simplified explanation of the technology, but what you’re seeing here is a visual representation of all the triggers playing the various piano notes, also arranged to form recognisable images, which is incredibly tricky to do while still creating a great piece of music.
[YouTube via BoingBoing]