Musical instrument digital interface or MIDI is a technical standard which can allow various devices to communicate with each other to create unique and sometimes complex music arrangements. Originally used only for those who wished electronic instruments to be added to their music, the MIDI is now a standard and used in a wide variety of applications.

As early as the 19^th century people have used the power of plants as therapy; gardening can be a form of meditation as one picks the weeds, lays new seed and digs through the dirt. When seniors come together and start a garden it brings them a feeling of community and hope. Gardens have even been used in prison settings which give the inmates responsibility and commitment to the project. Add the MIDI capabilities along with the plants and you may have a form of music therapy.

The MIDI Sprout was created by an audio engineer based in Philadelphia and can measure the electric currents that are created by plant life. By placing electrodes similar to what you would see on an EKG machine on the leaf of a plant, which is attached to a box containing the MIDI Sprout device, the MIDI Sprout device can read the way electricity is conducted across the leaves. The MIDI Sprout then converts the electronic readings into sound. The plants do not produce music as we are used to hearing it, but rather random sounds that have no pattern.

The MIDI Sprout is just one example of what can be accomplished with a degree in music. An audio engineer can work in a variety of companies who may need audio expertise such as an automobile manufacturer or a manufacturer of headphones. Training for an audio engineer depends entirely on what course you wish your career to take; as a sound engineer mixing and creating music or in the engineering side which has a focus on audio research and development.

The MIDI Sprout is just one example of the type of research and development that an audio engineer can be engaged in. Recently another audio engineer developed a hoodie which allows the wearer to use headphones without the sound being muffled. An audio engineer can be engaged in architectural acoustics which addresses the needs of music theatres or stadiums, psychoacoustics which is the study of how humans respond to music, or electro acoustics which involves the design of various recording technologies, just to name a few.

A degree in music can take a person in directions they never thought of such as managing musicians, songwriting, composing music, producing music, creating music for film or computer games, composing jazz arrangements, becoming a teacher educating others about music, or even starting a musical group. The possibilities are many and extremely varied, as evidenced by the audio engineer who figured out how to make music with plants. All it takes is some training, imagination, and drive to get you where you want to go in the world of music.