Tuning in…

Every time someone asks me about my Masters in Sound and Music Computing, I struggle to explain it in a single sentence. How do I convince them that it is fascinating how music can be processed with math and algorithms, how do I tell them about the vast applications of Music Information Retrieval (MIR), and how do I explain the intricate world where human creativity and mathematical genius collide?

I see that I’ve written that in one sentence but it is not quite a socially acceptable response to “what’s your Masters about?”.

Instead, I briefly drop a few big names - Spotify, Shazam, maybe Suno, and then watch excited faces fall when I say “no, I can’t DJ, but some of what we learn could be useful for DJs…”, and let someone else take the spotlight.

This series of articles are for every person who’s asked about my Masters, and got my half-assed response. I’ve tried to eli5 (or 15, or 25) key concepts, but most importantly I hope to share some of the most enjoyable parts of the learning experience (despite all the blood, sweat, and a truck load of tears).

Come tune in to fun, pain, and brain cells gained.