On Nov. 4, junior Winston Iskandar shared his vision for the fusion of technology and music at TEDx Manhattan Beach, an event run at Costa annually to spread ideas, talents, and innovations from the community and the world.
Over the summer, Iskandar worked with two professors at Massachusetts Institute of Technology to build the MIDI Coder Web App, a beta web application that will allow people with no music experience to create their own compositions. According to Iskandar, the web app will allow users to control every aspect of their music, including instruments, pitch, volume, and more.
“The MIDI Coder is a web app that empowers everyone to create their own original music,” Iskandar said. “It has two interfaces: the first interface is a live coding input section, where you can write and run code. The second is a camera interface where noncoders have the ability to create their own music by using hand gestures.”
Iskandar is an accomplished concert pianist and has performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall and Walt Disney Concert Hall. According to tedxmahnattanbeach.org, Iskandar organized benefit concerts to raise awareness for mental illness.
“I’ve always loved music, and I’ve been playing piano since I was five,” Iskandar said. “I was thinking about how I could fuse my two passions, coding and music, and that’s when I found the MIDI program.”
Working with MIDI isn’t Iskandar’s only professional coding experience. In the past he has worked with a number of different organizations and universities to create programs that have helped develop his love of coding.
“During my freshman year, I cooperated with a Dartmouth computer science lab, where I helped create a choose-your-own adventure game for younger kids,” Iskandar said. “It made the learning process much more efficient and interesting for the young students.”
After hearing about his experience with the MIDI coder, Iskandar’s elementary school principal recommended him as a speaker for TEDx Manhattan Beach. According to Iskandar, now that he has an audience, he wants to continue spreading his love for music and coding.
“I want my Ted Talk to send a great message to the audience,” Iskandar said. “Even if they may not be as technically advanced, I want to open their view of music and how AI can transform the music landscape in a few years if not sooner.”
Iskandar’s project mainly focused on the intersection of technology and music as a means of increasing accessibility to musical disciplines. Iskandar demonstrated the user-friendliness of his MIDI AI music technology to exemplify his work toward achieving this goal.
“Attending conferences [about the fusion of music and technology] allowed me to learn about what research is being done and what research is still in progress,” said Iskandar. “It also allowed me to meet all of these high-profile people that you would never meet in a high school or in your everyday life.”
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