Brad Osborn is an Associate Professor of Music Theory at the University of Kansas, specializing in the analysis of popular music, particularly within the realms of music video aesthetics, electronic dance music (EDM), and rock genre studies. His research interrogates the intersections of sound, visual narrative, and cultural meaning in post-MTV era media. Research Focus: Music Video Analysis, Rock Harmonic Systems, EDM Structural Functions, Film/TV Music Theory Notable Themes: Through-composed Forms in Post-Rock, Timbre in Icelandic Music, Cognitive Salience in Audiovisual Media Recent publications examine terminally climactic forms in modern rock, transmedia analysis of music videos, and the subdominant tritone in visual media scoring. Osborn advocates for innovative pedagogical approaches integrating music video analysis and digital resources.
Benjamin Hayes is a research scientist at Sony Computer Science Laboratories Paris and a PhD candidate in Artificial Intelligence and Music at Queen Mary University of London's Centre for Digital Music (C4DM). His research focuses on neural audio synthesis, generative models, and perceptual aspects of sound design. He has held internships at Spotify, Sony CSL, and Bytedance, and previously worked as a music producer and lecturer in Electronic & Produced Music at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. His work bridges digital signal processing, deep learning, and creative sound exploration. Education: PhD in AI and Music (Queen Mary University of London), Master’s/Undergraduate qualifications not explicitly stated but inferred from professional roles. Research Interests: Neural audio synthesis, differentiable digital signal processing, timbre perception, generative models, and psychoacoustics. Current project explores perceptually motivated deep learning approaches for sound synthesis, emphasizing semantic associations in timbre. Professional Experience: Over 10 years in music production, internships at leading tech firms, and academic collaborations across institutions like IRCAM, CNRS, and KTH. Key Contributions: Developed frameworks for end-to-end sound synthesis, addressed challenges in unordered neural network targets, and pioneered gamified systems for crowdsourcing timbre semantics (e.g., timbre.fun). Active in conferences such as ICLR, ICASSP, and DMRN workshops.
Howard Nusbaum is a Professor in the Psychology Department within the Social Sciences Division at the University of Chicago. His research has focused since 1986 on perceptual learning, attention, and working memory, with significant contributions to understanding speech perception, auditory processing, and more recently, the science of wisdom. His laboratory employs a wide range of methods including high-density EEG, fMRI analysis, auditory brainstem recordings, and sophisticated speech analysis tools. Education: BA in Computer Science and Psychology from Brandeis University (1976) PhD in Cognitive Psychology from State University of New York at Buffalo (1981) Postdoctoral training in Speech, Hearing, and Sensory Communication from Indiana University (1984) Nusbaum's research investigates how humans learn and process speech and other auditory information, with particular emphasis on the role of attention, working memory, and sleep in perceptual learning. His laboratory has made groundbreaking contributions, including the first scientific evidence for sleep consolidation of generalized learning, the first behavioral evidence for functional effects of sleep consolidation in songbirds, and the discovery that adults can learn perfect pitch with this learning dependent on working memory capacity. His recent work has expanded to explore the cognitive neuroscience of wisdom, investigating how self-transcendent experiences contribute to wise reasoning. Nusbaum's publication record demonstrates consistent high-impact research across cognitive neuroscience, with recent work spanning from basic mechanisms of speech perception to broader questions about wisdom and decision-making. His research shows an evolving trajectory from foundational work on perceptual learning and speech processing toward more complex questions about higher cognitive functions and their neural underpinnings, with publications extending into 2025. Scientific Awards: 2018 Stella M. Rowley Professor of Psychology 2014 Fellow, The Psychonomic Society 2012 Llewellyn John and Harriet Manchester Quantrell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching 2009 Fellow, Association for Psychological Science 2007 Future Faculty Mentorship Award Nusbaum has successfully mentored numerous graduate students and postdoctoral trainees who have gone on to become tenured faculty at prestigious institutions worldwide. His NIH-funded research on 'Structure and Process in Speech Perception' has supported his work for many years. His laboratory provides comprehensive training in behavioral research methods, signal processing, statistical analysis, human electrophysiology, and computational modeling. The APEX (Attention, Perception, and Executive-function eXperience) lab at the University of Chicago, which Nusbaum directs, is equipped for high-density EEG measurements, fMRI data analysis, auditory brainstem recordings, and a wide range of speech analysis tools. The lab conducts research with human participants, including nap studies with polysomnography. Nusbaum also contributes to the UChicago Center for Practical Wisdom, reflecting his expanding research interests into the cognitive neuroscience of wisdom.
Anne Danielsen is a Professor and Deputy Head at the RITMO Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of Rhythm, Time, and Motion at the University of Oslo. Her research bridges musicology, cognitive science, and interdisciplinary studies, focusing on rhythm, music production, and the intersection of music, media, and technology. University: University of Oslo Role: Professor Projects: TIME (NFR TOP RESEARCH), RITMO (NFR Center of Excellence) Danielsen’s work explores microrhythm , groove , and temporal perception in music, with a particular emphasis on popular and African-American music . She investigates how music cognition interacts with sonic features and body posture in performance, integrating psychological and acoustic analysis . Her recent projects include MusicLab Copenhagen , a dataset for interdisciplinary concert research, and studies on beta oscillations and pupil responses in groove perception. Danielsen collaborates across disciplines, examining how personality traits and genetic factors influence musical sensibility through twin studies. In music production , she analyzes how digital audio workstations transform rhythmic structures and investigates acoustic chamber design for sound experiments. Her research also addresses gender patterns in music mediation and the cultural implications of rhythmic aesthetics.
Kristina Backer is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Cognitive and Information Sciences at the University of California, Merced. Her research focuses on cognitive neuroscience, auditory processing, and the intersection of sensory systems with higher-order cognition. She employs methods such as EEG, fMRI, and behavioral experiments to investigate topics like bilingualism effects, neuroplasticity in aging, and multisensory integration mechanisms. Her work explores how auditory and visual systems interact, particularly in phenomena such as the McGurk illusion and the continuity illusion in musicians. She also examines how auditory cues influence motor timing and the neural mechanisms underlying attentional modulation in short-term memory. Backer’s studies often involve clinical populations, such as children with cochlear implants and older adults with hearing loss, to understand the cognitive and neurophysiological impacts of sensory deficits. Key research themes include the temporal dynamics of sensory processing, the neural basis of cross-modal perception, and individual differences in cognitive abilities linked to language experience and aging. Her experimental methods emphasize electrophysiological techniques combined with computational modeling to dissect neural correlates of perception and cognition. Backer’s publications highlight advancements in understanding auditory-motor integration, neuroplasticity in bilingualism, and the development of rapid diagnostic tools for sensory pathway assessment. Her research bridges fundamental neuroscience with clinical applications, aiming to improve rehabilitation strategies for auditory and cognitive impairments.
Paul Théberge is a Professor at Carleton University, cross-appointed to the Institute for Comparative Studies in Literature, Art and Culture and the School for Studies in Art and Culture (Music). He teaches graduate courses in Cultural Mediations (technologies of culture), Film Studies (sound in visual media), and Music (sound studies), reflecting his interdisciplinary academic home within Ottawa's major research institution. His research interrogates the material and cultural dimensions of sound technologies, with core expertise in music-technology-culture intersections, internet-mediated musical practices, and sonic applications in film/television. Théberge's scholarship bridges musicology, media studies, and science and technology studies, examining how recording technologies reshape creative practice and auditory experience across historical periods from analog tape to digital streaming platforms. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals persistent engagement with sound's materiality—from multichannel audio histories to the embodied nature of listening—and consistent exploration of technological transitions, particularly the internet's disruption of traditional music production/distribution models. His work demonstrates deep methodological versatility spanning archival research, ethnographic observation, and creative composition. Scientific recognition includes: International Association for the Study of Popular Music (US branch, 1998) Society for Ethnomusicology (2000) While the source text doesn't specify current advising activities, his extensive editorial work (e.g., co-editing Living Stereo ) and composition output suggest significant mentorship through collaborative projects. His research has been supported through Canada Research Chair funding and industry partnerships like Sony Classical International.
Youngmoo Kim is Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Drexel University, where he directs the Expressive and Creative Interactive Technologies (ExCITe) Center. His leadership extends to the Music & Entertainment Technology Laboratory (MET-lab), focusing on machine listening, robotics for expressive interaction, and STEM education through music technology. Education: PhD, Media Arts & Sciences, MIT (2003) MS, Electrical Engineering, Stanford University MA, Music, Stanford University BS, Engineering, Swarthmore College BA, Music, Swarthmore College Research Focus: Kim's interdisciplinary work bridges audio signal processing, machine learning for music information retrieval, human-robot interaction, and acoustic synthesis. His lab develops novel interfaces including brain-controlled robotics, augmented instruments, and AI-driven music systems, while championing K-12 STEAM education through technological innovation. Publication Trends: Recent articles demonstrate strong convergence of deep learning with music technology, particularly in neural audio synthesis, instrument recognition, and robotic control systems. Emerging themes include differentiable physical modeling of instruments, neuroadaptive interfaces using fNIRS/tDCS, and computational approaches to creative collaboration. Awards & Honors: 2021 College of Engineering Inclusive Excellence Award 2013 Apple Distinguished Educator 2012 Lindback Foundation Distinguished Teaching Award 2012 Philadelphia Geek Awards Scientist of the Year 2007 NSF CAREER Award Leadership & Funding: Kim has secured research support from the National Science Foundation and Knight Foundation. His ExCITe Center serves as an interdisciplinary hub for creative technology development, while MET-lab advances audio-machine intelligence through collaborations across engineering, computer science, and performing arts.
Zachary Wallmark is an Associate Professor of Musicology and Area Chair of Musicology and Ethnomusicology at the University of Oregon's School of Music and Dance. His interdisciplinary research bridges musicology, cognitive science, and sound studies, with a particular focus on musical timbre and its relationship to emotion, meaning, and cultural context. Wallmark maintains a joint affiliation with the Center for Translational Neuroscience at the University of Oregon, reflecting his cross-disciplinary approach. His research interests span popular music studies, timbre analysis, music cognition, and sound studies, with particular attention to how musical timbre functions in emotional response, aesthetic judgment, and music sociology. Wallmark's work explores these themes across diverse musical contexts including American popular music, free jazz, extreme heavy metal, and traditional Japanese music. Wallmark's publications reveal a consistent focus on timbre as a critical yet undertheorized dimension of musical experience. His work spans empirical studies of timbre perception, corpus analyses of timbre semantics, interdisciplinary investigations of timbre's role in meaning-making, and theoretical explorations of timbre's relationship to cultural and social contexts. Recent publications increasingly integrate cognitive neuroscience methodologies with traditional musicological approaches. GRAMMY Museum Foundation Scientific Research Grant UO Presidential Fellowship in Humanistic Study AMS Ruth A. Solie Award Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada Partnership Grant National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Fellowship Wallmark's research has received significant external funding from prestigious organizations including the NEH and the GRAMMY Museum Foundation. He is active in the Analysis, Creation, and Teaching of Orchestration (ACTOR) group, an international research partnership funded by the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. His work has been presented at major international conferences including the American Musicological Society (AMS), Society for Music Perception and Cognition (SMPC), Society for Music Theory (SMT), and Society for Ethnomusicology (SEM). Wallmark has also been invited to lecture at notable venues including the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. Beyond his academic work, he is a published composer, commercial musician, jazz bassist, and performer of the Japanese shakuhachi flute.
Andrew McPherson is a Professor of Musical Interaction at Queen Mary University of London, affiliated with the School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science and the Centre for Multimodal AI. He leads the Augmented Instruments Laboratory, a research team focused on music technology and interdisciplinary collaboration. His work bridges electrical engineering, composition, and human-computer interaction, emphasizing the creation of new tools for musicians through hardware/software interfaces and expressive performance modeling. McPherson's research interests include augmented instruments, digital signal processing, and the design of intuitive musical interfaces. He has pioneered projects like the Bela embedded platform and the Magnetic Resonator Piano, emphasizing practical applications in traditional and experimental music venues. Collaborations with artists and industry inform his approach, ensuring research outputs are artistically relevant and accessible. Education & Expertise: Trained in electrical engineering and composition, McPherson combines technical proficiency with artistic sensibility. His lab’s projects, such as the TouchKeys and hackable instruments, highlight his focus on democratizing music technology. Grants & Awards: He holds a Royal Academy of Engineering Senior Research Fellowship (2021–2026) and an ERC Consolidator Grant (2023–2027). He co-leads the UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in Artificial Intelligence and Music, fostering future researchers in AI-driven music innovation. Labs/Teams: The Augmented Instruments Lab collaborates across disciplines, with dual affiliation at Queen Mary and Imperial College London’s Dyson School of Design Engineering. The lab’s work spans from foundational research to industry partnerships, including spinout company Augmented Instruments Ltd, which supports maker communities and industry consultancy.
Juri Seo is an Associate Professor of Music at Princeton University, where she teaches composition. She is a Korean-born American composer and pianist known for her innovative approach to contemporary classical music that bridges historical forms with modern techniques. Her educational background includes a B.A. from Yonsei University in Korea and an M.M. and D.M.A. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she studied with Reynold Tharp. Her dissertation focused on Jonathan Harvey's String Quartets (2013). Seo's research interests span Contemporary Music Composition, Counterpoint, Harmony, Just Intonation, Microtonality, Piano Composition, and the intersection of Ecology with Music. Her work explores "the continuum between timbre, harmony, and noise" while maintaining a deep connection to traditional Western classical forms. She is particularly passionate about counterpoint, which she describes as "a lost art" in contemporary composition. Her compositions demonstrate a unique synthesis of historical forms (like fugue and cantus firmus) with contemporary techniques including extended just intonation and electronics. A recurring theme in her recent work is ecology, with pieces like "Birds, Bees, Electric Fish" exploring the perceptual worlds of different organisms. She has pioneered performances with blindfolded audiences to heighten auditory awareness. Guggenheim Fellowship (2016) Goddard Lieberson Fellowship from American Academy of Arts and Letters (2013) Kate Neal Kinley Fellowship (2011) Otto Eckstein Fellowship from Tanglewood (2011) Koussevitzky Commission from the Library of Congress Copland House Residency Award Seo has received commissions from prestigious organizations including the Fromm Foundation, Barlow Endowment, Tanglewood Music Center, and the University of Illinois. She has been a composition fellow at Tanglewood, Bang on a Can, and SoundSCAPE festivals. Her debut album "Mostly Piano" was released by Innova Recordings in 2017, and her recent album "Obsolete Music" was released by New Amsterdam Records in June 2025. She leads an active creative life with numerous upcoming commissions through 2026, including works for So Percussion, the Grossman Ensemble, and the University of Illinois Percussion Studio. Her work with the JACK Quartet on pieces using extended just intonation has been particularly significant in her recent output.
Scott Barton is an Associate Professor of Music at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), with affiliate appointments in Robotics Engineering, Computer Science, and Psychology. He leads the Music, Perception and Robotics (MPR) Lab and co-founded Expressive Machines Musical Instruments (EMMI), focusing on robotic musical instrument design and human-robot interaction. His research spans rhythm perception, creativity, and audio production, blending psychology, engineering, and music. His teaching includes courses on music and mind, musical robotics, digital sound, and algorithmic composition. He actively engages in performances and workshops, such as the 2024 International Computer Music Conference in Seoul and the Algorave event in Worcester. Awards: None explicitly listed in the provided texts. His contributions include over 15 publications in journals like Music Perception and conferences such as NIME. He advises students in interdisciplinary projects at the MPR Lab and collaborates on robotic instrument development. Labs: Directs the MPR Lab and co-founded EMMI, focusing on innovative musical robotics and human-robot interaction.
Dr Alex Chilvers is a Lecturer in Aural Skills at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, The University of Sydney, and an Honorary Postdoctoral Fellow in Macquarie University's Department of Psychological Sciences. He holds a PhD in Composition (2019), a BMus(Hons), BIT(Hons), and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). His research focuses on music perception, intercultural musical dialogue, and the aesthetic role of folklore in Polish music. Chilvers composes for orchestras and ensembles like the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, and co-founded the Bark Tin Band to explore cross-cultural musical collaborations. He coordinates aural perception units at the Conservatorium and supervises postgraduate research in music performance, composition, and musicology. Current projects include 'New Music Through Dialogic Intercultural Collaboration' with Dr Lulu Liu. Chilvers' work bridges musicology, psychology, and performance, with affiliations to the Music, Sound and Performance Lab and the Australian Music Centre. His compositions and research publications address themes of cultural identity, intercultural exchange, and the psychological impact of music. Publications include analyses of Szymanowski and Górecki's use of folklore, and empirical studies on cultural sensitivity in music appreciation. His teaching emphasizes aural skills development and interdisciplinary approaches to music education.
Dr. Michael Schutz is a Professor of Music Cognition/Percussion at McMaster University's School of the Arts, serving as University Scholar and founding director of the MAPLE Lab. His research bridges music performance/perception, focusing on auditory perception, medical alarm design, and cross-modal sensory integration. Supported by grants from CFI, NSERC, SSHRC, NIH, and others, his work appears in journals like Psychology of Music and British Journal of Anaesthesia . He actively contributes to the Percussive Arts Society and Society for Music Perception and Cognition, co-authoring influential textbooks and leading national percussion networks. Recent studies explore alarm redesign using musical principles and historic shifts in emotional expression across musical eras. His research has been featured on CBC's Quirks & Quarks , On The Nature of Things , and in textbooks including Cognitive Psychology and The Psychology of Music in Multimedia . He directs the McMaster Institute for Music and the Mind, emphasizing interdisciplinary connections between music, mind, and technology. Grants: CFI, NSERC, SSHRC, NIH, Early Researcher Award (Ontario) Key Roles: MAPLE Lab Director, SMPC Board Member (2014–2017) Public Engagement: Over 60 media features, 30+ invited performances, and collaborative research with Vanderbilt University Teaching includes courses on music cognition, percussion ensembles, and laboratory methods. His work has influenced anti-racist practices in music cognition research and ergonomic design of medical interfaces.
Miguel Ortiz is a Lecturer at Queen's University Belfast's School of Arts, English and Languages. His research focuses on digital instrument design, technology-mediated composition, and the intersection of music technology with physiological sensors and communities of practice. He actively supervises PhD students in these areas. Ortiz's work explores iterative instrument design processes, ecological frameworks for instrument evaluation, and the impact of timbre on musical learning. His publications span acoustic modeling, biosignal-driven art, and Latin American perspectives in new musical interfaces (NIME). Recent research highlights include studies on spring reverb tank mechanics, real-time bowing parameter sensing, and the establishment of Latin American NIME networks. He collaborates internationally and organizes workshops like the International Synth Design Hackathon. Ortiz has contributed datasets for expressive musical gesture analysis and participated in peer review for cultural funding initiatives. His research bridges technical innovation with human-centered design principles.
Mark Yeary serves as an Adjunct Professor of Music Theory at the School of Music, University of Puget Sound, where he bridges scholarly research with active musical performance and pedagogy. His academic foundation includes: BA from University of California, Berkeley (1995) PhD from University of Chicago (2011) Yeary's research centers on perceptual dimensions of music, specifically analyzing unusual sonorities in Stravinsky and Messiaen's compositions, examining timbre's role in harmonic music pedagogy, and conducting psychoacoustic studies of vocal production in popular recordings. This interdisciplinary work connects theoretical analysis with empirical perception studies. No scientific awards were documented in the source material. Professional activities include private instruction in voice, guitar, and bass, alongside regular performance as a singer, bassist, and arranger with local ensembles. No grant funding details were specified. No dedicated research laboratories or collaborative teams were referenced.
