Screen Shot 2013-05-29 at 3.42.22 PMNPR has an interview with Stephen Malinowski, an engineer and composer who has developed some amazing dynamic visualization tools for visualizing music as it appears to the listener, rather than the artist.  Far removed from the typical notes and staffs notations, he uses colors, animations, and various symbols played in time to the music to better represent the dynamic nature of the composition.

At this point, I have a toolkit of what I call different renderers. I have about 20 now, and each renders a different visual effect. When I start working with a piece of music, I have to figure out which renderers will work within that particular composer’s work. And if it turns out that nothing I already have in that toolkit accurately represents what the composer is doing, I write new programming.

via Watch A Mind-Blowing Visualization Of ‘The Rite Of Spring’ : Deceptive Cadence : NPR.