Google Arts & Culture Lab uses emerging technologies to create accessible experiences that connect us to culture in new ways online. The latest experiment, Viola the Bird, is the world’s first “bird-tuoso” in string instruments and part of Google’s long-term work with performing arts partners around the world.
Everyone can help Viola the Bird play its cello-inspired instrument, and take a playful musical journey from its home in the wild to the concert hall of its dreams.
The creator collaborated with cellists and violinists to develop the experiment by training a neural network — a machine learning model that can be trained on data — to understand cello and violin compositions. The neural network was then applied to create a real-time audio synthesis engine that can generate the sounds of a cello or violin based on the player’s input.
The result is an interactive music experiment that is both fun and educational. Viola the Bird is a great way for anyone to learn about string instruments and explore their own creativity through music. Read more on Google’s blog.
