# Railroad Musicals Alexander Chen Turns the New York Subway System into an Instrument By Brian Kerr | Published 2011-02-02 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/interaction-design References: [fastcodesign](http://www.fastcodesign.com/1663129/mtame-google-engineer-turns-subway-lines-into-musical-instruments) & [blog.chenalexander](http://blog.chenalexander.com/2011/conductor-mta/) [Google](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/shaped-by-water) Engineer Alexander Chen made music with subways in Conductor (2011). HTML5 and Massimo Vignelli's subway template were fused together in this beautiful piece of interaction design, with different variables controlling pitch and length of note, all shaped by the shifting trains and their respected trajectories. Here is a description by the artist himself: "Conductor turns the New York subway system into an [interactive string instrument](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/minitap). Using the [MTA's](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sony-and-olivia-rodrigo) actual subway schedule, the piece begins in realtime by spawning trains which departed in the last minute, then continues accelerating through a 24 hour loop. The visuals are based on Massimo Vignelli's 1972 diagram." ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.1/10 - Popularity: 6% | Activity: 20% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/design) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Interactive Art:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Explore the integration of technology and art to create engaging and interactive experiences. - **Data Visualization:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Use data to create captivating visual representations that allow for new insights and perspectives. - **Transportation Innovation:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Combine transportation systems with creative applications to enhance user experiences in public spaces. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Art and Entertainment:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Embrace technology and interactivity to revolutionize the traditional art and entertainment industry. - **Technology and Design:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Merge technology and design principles to create innovative products and experiences. - **Transportation and Urban Planning:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Integrate creative solutions into transportation and urban planning to improve efficiency and user experience. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Knitted New York Subways](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/straphangers-lounge.md) - [Interactive Music Systems](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sound-maestro.md) - [Singer-Themed Transit Takeovers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sony-and-olivia-rodrigo.md) - [Digital City-Inspired Art Works](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/grand-central-station.md) - [Repurposed Waste Transit Tiles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/jeffrey-miller.md) - [Urban Soundscape Installations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/moment-installation.md) - [Real-Time Subway Map Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-weekendest.md) - [Color-To-Sound Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gradient-synth.md) - [Heritage Sound Playgrounds](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hornscape-playground.md)