Algorithmically Generated MIDI Art Plays Giant Steps Changes with 9 Different Images

Images of Coltrane, Paul Chambers, Art Taylor, and some textual images get converted into MIDI that plays its own rendition of the Giant Steps changes.
Sometimes the result is actually somewhat musical! Other times not so much...
For a more pronounced visual effect, use a small viewer (don't use fullscreen or an enlarged view). Back away from the screen if necessary to help your brain interpret the pixels of the MIDI image.
The algorithm for generating a MIDI file from a given image is roughly:
1. Run Canny edge detection on the original image.
2. Dilate the grayscale edge image.
3. Downsample the image to a height matching the number of notes in the desired range.
4. Convert the downsampled image to MIDI by constraining the notes to certain pitches over time.
I'll explain the algorithm in greater detail in a future video if there's interest (in particular, the details of step 4).
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Photo credits (where known/available):
Picture #1: John Coltrane (Ted Williams/Corbis)
Picture #2: Art Taylor (1963 advertisement for Gretsch, Photographer Unknown)
Picture #3: John Coltrane (Esmond Edwards)
Picture #4: Paul Chambers (Francis Wolff, Cosaic Images)
Picture #5: John Coltrane (Charles Vlen/Bettmann/Corbis)
Picture #6: (Text image in "Bebas Neue" font)
Picture #7: John Coltrane (Prestige Records, Photographer Unknown)
Picture #8: (Text image in "Lobster Two" font)
Picture #9: John Coltrane (johncoltrane.com)
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▶ “Algorithms” (4th Edition) by Robert Sedgewick & Kevin Wayne: amzn.to/3uo25xR
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▶ “Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software” by Erich Gamma, Richard Helm, Ralph Johnson, & John Vlissides: amzn.to/49fpr7R
▶ “Discrete Algorithmic Mathematics” by Stephen B. Maurer & Anthony Ralston: amzn.to/4bmsOvG
#midiart #music #algorithm #computervision #midi #computermusic #giantsteps #coltrane #jazz #code #programming #images #visualization #visuals #drums #sax #bass

[@hey_gnatalie]

more deets on the algo please and thank you

[@TheErer1243]

Big walks

[@akshayvenugopalan2940]

I really love how musical the output is! It would be great if you could make a video showing how you were able to convert these images into the MIDI format through your algorithm. I would love to try out other images and see what their "theme song" is, if you could even call it that.