My main interest was to understand the neural basis for music melody and harmony perception. I showed, from single-neuron recording studies, that direct correlates of pitch and dissonance are found in responses of midbrain auditory neurons. These findings show that neural processing important for music perception occurs at subcortical as well as cortical levels of the auditory pathway.
I am working in the emerging field of Music Information Retrieval, where we attempt to extract relevant information from music audio signals. Applications range from library science (music archiving/cataloging) to consumer electronics (playlist generation on audio players). Our strategy is to apply models of auditory perception to the music signal and then use methods for pattern classification on the outputs of those models.
The breadth and rigor of the training in the SHBT program has provided me with valuable tools for my current position. From general research methods to specific course notes and texts, I continuously revisit material and knowledge acquired from the Program, apply it and pass it on to students and colleagues. The further I go in my own research career, the more I appreciate the basic training I received in the SHBT program. In my current position, I make evaluations and decisions daily, especially in my advice to students, that come directly from the solid scientific training that I received in the SHBT program.
