Georgia Tech School of Music

🎓 Meet Farshad Jafari, our featured student for this Wednesday’s Student Highlight! 🎉

Farshad is going into his second year at our Music Technology Master's program. With Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Amirkabir University of Technology, his research ambitiously intersects technology, music, and the arts.

Farshad’s journey began with collecting and pre-processing movie subtitles for machine translation during his undergraduate studies. His Master’s thesis deepened his exploration into music technology, where he created the first digital dataset of Iranian music with lyrics in MusicXML format and worked on generating melodies for given lyrics using LSTM models.

Currently, Farshad focuses on advanced computational models, using transformers with GPT architecture to analyze rhythm, harmony, and melody. His goal is to quantify musical aesthetics through predictive analyses.

Looking ahead, Farshad aims to explore the interplay between music, film, and narrative forms, pushing the boundaries of interdisciplinary research. Alongside his academic endeavors, Farshad's professional life is equally dynamic, involving roles as a senior software engineer, playwright, director, founder of Jaygasht.ir, and podcast producer.

Stay tuned for more inspiring stories from our talented students! 🧑‍🎓

🎓 Wednesday Student Highlight Series is back! First, let's meet Pavan Seshadri 🎉

Pavan, a Music Technology Master’s student at Georgia Tech, blends his Computer Science background with his Music Technology expertise. His journey began during his junior year at Tech working on music performance analysis projects.

After gaining industry experience as a software engineer, Pavan returned to study Music Information Retrieval. His research aims to improve music recommendation systems by addressing biases and supporting emerging artists.

Pavan is now ready to bring his research into the industry, balancing innovation with practical solutions. Stay tuned for more student highlights! 🧑‍🎓

🎓🤖 Continuing our Student Research Showcase, the Robotic Musicianship Lab presented some great projects as well. Students demonstrated their work on integrating robotics and music, pushing the boundaries of what's possible in musical interaction.

Students demonstrated active projects on Medusai, an AI-driven system that plays percussion and strings with human musicians, interacts with dancers, and responds to human observers through gestures, music, and light. We also saw ongoing progress with Shimi, a smartphone-enabled robotic companion, and Shimon recreated in VR, an improvising robotic marimba player, creating unique musical experiences.

Other highlights included Safe and Sound and Expressive Robotic Guitarist. Thanks to all the presenters for sharing their innovative work!

🎓📊 End of Semester Student Research Showcase Part 1! At the beginning of May, our students presented their research in music technology at our poster day, ranging from AI applications in music to immersive audio for gaming.

The showcase included projects like MIDI Mancala, exploring interactive music systems, and advanced spatial auditory feedback systems. Lightning talks provided students with opportunities to give quick insights in what their research is about from a high level.

Thanks to all the presenters and attendees for making this event a success. For those who couldn't join us, look out for future updates on our students' impactful research!

🎺✨ What a spectacular night at the GT Jazz Ensembles I and II Concert with the incredible Wayne Bergeron! 🌟 Last week, our talented students had the unique opportunity to perform alongside one of the best sought-after musicians in the world.

From jazz classics to Disney hits, each piece brought the house down at the Ferst Center for the Arts. A big thank you to everyone who joined us and made the evening unforgettable. 🎷🎶

Missed the live performance? Catch the full concert on the Georgia Tech School of Music‘s YouTube channel (link in bio) and experience the magic of jazz brought to life by our amazing ensembles and the masterful Wayne Bergeron.

Thank you to all the performers and attendees for a night filled with music and joy. Here’s to many more! 🎼👏

🎉 Music Technology Student Hackathon Winners Announced! 🎶💻

We are delighted to announce the winners of our recent Music Technology Hackathon. Congratulations to all the teams for their outstanding projects and enthusiasm, which made this event a resounding success.

🏆 Judge‘s Choice Winner: The Cadence Group by Ian Clester and Brittney Allen impressed us all with their creativity playing with speech videos of historic figures. They’ve won a Make Noise 0-COAST synthesizer, thanks to this year’s sponsor, Make Noise.

🏅 Most Completed Prototype Award: The Pyramid Group by Xuedan Gao and Yifeng Yu created a beautiful prototype that responds dynamically to the emotions of users‘ speech input. Fantastic work!

A big shoutout to every participant for their hard work and innovation. It was truly inspiring to see how projects evolve in such a short time. We look forward to more collaborations and breakthroughs in future hackathons!

Who’s ready for a full month of concerts by our wonderful ensembles this April? 🙋‍♀️🙋🙋‍♂️

🎺🌟 Masterclass and jazz concert with Wayne Bergeron! 🌟🎺

Join us at the GT School of Music and Jazz Studies Area for a day filled with musical mastery. From a masterclass to a performance with the Georgia Tech Jazz Ensembles I and II, experience the unparalleled talent of Yamaha International Trumpet Performing and Recording Artist, Wayne Bergeron.

📅 Date: Tuesday, April 16, 2024
🕚 Masterclass: 11:00am-1:00pm at Couch 115
🌃 Concert: 7:30pm at Ferst Center for the Arts

All events are FREE and open to the public. Don‘t miss this opportunity to witness the artistry of a musician who’s not only shaped the soundtracks of our lives but has also inspired generations of artists.

From Maynard Ferguson’s band to over 500 TV & movie soundtracks, Bergeron’s trumpet has been the heartbeat of countless hits. Whether it‘s jazz, pop, or the scores of films like West Side Story and La La Land, his performances are legendary.

Let’s celebrate music, let‘s celebrate mastery. See you there! 🎶💫

As we mark the last day of Women’s History Month, we spotlight an essential student organization in our community, Women in Music Tech. This organization aims to create a community for women and all minorities to network and find support in the academic and professional field of music technology. 🎵💪

This past year, Women in Music Tech has hosted an array of engaging events, each fostering innovation and community. Highlights include a Spooky Sound Synthesis workshop using Arduino, sparking creativity and technical skill; a Music + Tech talk co-hosted as part of the Instrumental Conversations series created by School of Music’s Board and Advisory Council Member, Liz Garner, bringing music industry insight to our students; and an intimate lunch with Annea Lockwood, offering members a rare opportunity to connect with the legendary composer and delve into her creative process.

In an interview with Georgia Tech’s campus newspaper, Technique, the student organization’s president, Qianyi Rose Sun, talked about the vision and passion driving Women in Music Tech. Through her words, we’re invited into a world of collaboration, innovation, and mutual support, illustrating the club’s role as a catalyst for change and growth in the field of music technology.

Even though March is coming to a close and with it our Women’s History Month series, the journey towards women empowerment and inclusivity in music technology doesn’t end here. Let’s extend the energy and intention of this month into every day, ensuring the journey towards empowerment and inclusivity in music technology continues. Join, follow, and support Women in Music Tech!🌟👩‍💻 See their website for more information: https://womeninmusictech.gatech.edu/

As we continue to celebrate Women’s History Month, we’re honored to spotlight the incredible female-identifying faculty at ’s School of Music. Their groundbreaking work in music and music technology not only advances the field but also paves the way for future generations in a traditionally male-dominated space. 🎶💪

Claire Arthur, Assistant Professor, delves into the intricacies of Music Perception & Cognition and Computational Musicology. She leads the Computational and Cognitive Musicology Lab, exploring how music influences cognitive processes and emotions.

Brittney Boykin, Assistant Professor, known for her compelling work in Composition, Conducting, and Piano, has made significant contributions through her compositions and has been recognized with numerous awards and commissions.

Jocelyn Kavanagh, Technical Director, merges her passion for sound design with Robotic Musicianship, fostering collaboration and innovation among students at Georgia Tech.

Alexandria Smith, Assistant Professor, stands at the intersection of music performance, composition, and audio engineering. With her work receiving high praise, Alexandria integrates feminist methods into music technology, pushing boundaries with her interdisciplinary research.

Chaowen Ting, Director of Orchestral Studies, is celebrated for her visionary musical direction and commitment to equity within the music industry. Her innovative programming and collaborative projects create meaningful community connections through music.

Their unique insights and contributions highlight the vital role that women play in enriching and evolving the landscape of music and music technology. As we move forward, we need to ensure that all voices are heard and valued in the realm of innovation. 🌟👩‍💻

Stay tuned for how you can support young women advancing in technology. In our next feature, we’re highlighting our student organization, Women in Music Technology. Discover how you can be part of the change. ✊

As Women’s History Month draws to a close, we believe it’s never too late to celebrate the pioneering women who’ve shaped the landscape of music and music technology—a field where women have historically been underrepresented. Today, we’re shining a spotlight on three trailblazing figures: Pauline Oliveros, Eliane Radigue, and Wendy Carlos. 🎶✨

Through our informational graphics, we invite you to delve into the lives and legacies of these remarkable women. Pauline Oliveros, with her philosophy of “deep listening,” transformed our understanding of sound and music. Éliane Radigue’s deep, meditative compositions push the boundaries of electronic music. Wendy Carlos, a true pioneer of synthesizer music, brought classical compositions into the electronic age. 🎧

Their contributions extend far beyond their innovative work; they’ve paved the way for future generations of women in music and music tech, proving that creativity knows no gender. Let’s honor their legacies by continuing to support and amplify the voices of women in music and music technology today and every day. 💪

This post is just the beginning of our series celebrating women in music and music tech. Stay tuned as we highlight our women faculty and the impactful work of our student organization, . Together, we’re building a more inclusive future in music and music tech.

Just over a week ago, the Guthman Music, Art, and Technology Fair unfolded with an extraordinary display of innovation and creativity, presented by the Georgia Tech School of Music in partnership with the Atlanta Science Festival. 🎶💡 On March 9, over 600 attendees explored the Exhibition Hall, diving into an interactive world where creators and students showcased their creative technology projects, hackathon works, and academic programs.

From engaging directly with the minds behind these projects to learning about the latest in music, art, and tech education, the fair offered a unique glimpse into the future of creativity. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us and made this event a resounding success!

Head over to our highlight “Guthman 2024” to relive the awesome weekend! 🌟

🎉 Guthman Musical Instrument Competition 2024 Winners Announced! 🎉

Swipe to see the game-changers of this year’s Guthman Musical Instrument Competition! From the global stage, ten finalists brought their A-game, showcasing inventions that redefine music’s future.

🥇 VocalCords by Maxwell Addae 🇺🇸: Sing differently by manipulating three rubber cords to augment your voice in real-time. Kelly Snook admires its simplicity and underlying richness. 🎤〰️

🥈 The Babel Table by Jean-François Laporte 🇨🇦: Dive into a world of sounds, from percussive booms to chirps, originally designed for children’s imaginations. Bosko Kante loves its dynamic range and how it beckons you to explore. 🎵🐝

🥉 Thales by Nicola Privato 🇮🇹: Experience music through magnetic fields with this innovative and affordable creation. Andrew McPherson sees a bright future in its versatile music-making potential. 🧲🎶

🌟 People’s Choice & Honorable Mention for Education - Sonògraf by Playmodes 🇪🇸: Art meets sound in this audiovisual tool that transforms drawings into music, perfect for young composers. 🎨🎼

Big congrats to all winners and participants for stretching the limits of creativity and technology in music! The journey doesn’t stop here.

🔗 Discover more about the revolutionary instruments and judges’ insights: https://guthman.gatech.edu/2024-winners [Link in bio]

🎥 Missed the action? Catch the concert replay: https://www.youtube.com/live/j4gHsl5CQRs?feature=shared [Link in bio]

🌟The Guthman Weekend is upon us! 🚀 This weekend is packed with activities designed for music lovers, tech enthusiasts, and creative minds alike. Let‘s explore what’s on the agenda:

🔹 Guthman Judges‘ Panel

📅 Date: Friday, March 8, 2024
⏰ Time: 4:00pm - 5:00pm
📍 Location: Ferst Center for the Arts
💡 Experience: A unique opportunity to hear from our esteemed 2024 Guthman Musical Instrument Competition judges - Bosko Kante, Kelly Snook, and Andrew McPherson. Engage in a thought-provoking discussion on the future of music technology. Attendance is free!

🔹 Guthman Music, Art, and Technology Fair

📅 Date: Saturday, March 9, 2024
⏰ Time: 4:00pm - 6:30pm
📍 Location: Exhibition Hall, Georgia Tech
🎉 What’s Happening: Before the grand competition concert, immerse yourself in an interactive fair showcasing the latest in music technology. Play, explore, and interact with incredible instruments and meet the creators behind them. Free and open to all - no registration required!

🔹 Guthman Musical Instrument Competition Concert

📅 Date: Saturday, March 9, 2024
⏰ Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm
📍 Location: Ferst Center for the Arts
🎶 About: Witness the extraordinary as finalists from around the globe showcase their groundbreaking musical instruments. Described by The Guardian as “The Pulitzer of the New Instrument World,” this event celebrates the intersection of music, engineering, and technology. Vote for your favorites and see who takes home the title of this year’s winners. Grab your tickets now! (link in bio)

Don’t miss out on this once-a-year opportunity to engage with the brightest minds in music and technology. Let‘s celebrate the spirit of innovation together!

🎉 Join us at the Guthman Music, Art, and Technology Fair! 🎨🎵💻 Before the curtains rise for the Guthman Musical Instrument Competition concert on March 9, immerse yourself in an interactive showcase like no other. Presented by the Georgia Tech School of Music and in partnership with the Atlanta Science Festival, this fair unites creators from diverse backgrounds, offering you a unique opportunity to engage with them and delve into their innovative projects.

🗓 Date: Saturday, March 9
⏰ Time: 4 pm - 6:30 pm
📍 Location: Exhibition Hall
✅ Admission: FREE (No tickets required)

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to explore how art, music, and technology can be engaged! For more details, visit our website: https://guthman.gatech.edu/guthman-fair-2024 (link in bio)

Last Thursday night, the Georgia Tech Symphony Orchestra, in collaboration with our Chamber Choir, Chorale, and Treble Choir, presented a stellar rendition of Johannes Brahms‘ Ein deutsches Requiem. 🎶🏤The performance was elevated by the exceptional talents of soloists Amanda Sheriff and Calvin Griffin, showcasing the profound depth of Brahms’ masterpiece.

The evening commenced with Reena Esmail‘s Ram Tori Maya, beautifully brought to life by GT’s own Aaditya Hingoo and Dhruv Pargai. Swipe to relive the moments of this remarkable blend of Western and Hindustani classical music. 🎵❤️

🎶✨ A day of music and reflection with great minds and artists✨🎶

Our Friday at Georgia Tech was a rich tapestry of music, technology, and nature. We started with an intimate lunch featuring Annea Lockwood, hosted by Women in Music Tech, where attendees engaged in lively discussions with this contemporary music icon. The afternoon brought together Annea Lockwood, Georgia Tech Laptop Orchestra director Jeremy Muller, and Biological Sciences faculty member Emily G Weigel, Ph.D. for a panel on music and the environment. This was followed by a reflective sound walk through Georgia Tech’s EcoCommons.

The evening was highlighted by a performance from the Georgia Tech Laptop Orchestra and Yarn/Wire. They presented an ecology-inspired program, including works by Annea Lockwood and a new piece by our Music Technology PhD student Lauren M. 🌿🎼

Thank you to all who joined us for this inspiring day, filled with meaningful conversations on the intersection of music, ecology, and our shared future. 🌎💡

*******************

This event is part of CompFest 2024. These events are co-sponsored by the Georgia Tech School of Music, Georgia Tech College of Design, Georgia Tech Environmental Science (ENVS / GT Amplify Momentum Grant), Georgia Tech Arts, and the School of Biological Sciences; and the Emory University Music Department (Composition, Piano Performance, and Orchestral Studies areas), Emory Integrated Visual Arts program, Emory Department of Environmental Sciences, and the Michael C. Carlos Museum. This project is sponsored in part by the Emory Friends of Music, Emory Music Department’s McDowell Fund, Emory’s CFDE Public Scholarship Fund, Emory Arts Project Grant, Emory Youth Symphony Orchestra, and Emory’s Hightower Fund, as well as the Fromm Music Foundation at Harvard University.

🤔 🎶 What criteria should a new and modern musical instrument meet? What form should it take? If you are also curious about these questions, read the coverage of Guthman Musical Instrument Competition 2024 by Popular Science and see how the finalists answer these questions with their design: https://www.popsci.com/technology/guthman-musical-instrument-finalists/ (link in bio)

📅 If you want to hear how these amazing new instruments could be performed with, make sure to grab your tickets to the Guthman Competition Final Concert taking place on March 9th at 7pm. Purchase today before they are gone: https://artsgatech.universitytickets.com/w/event.aspx?id=2595 (link in bio)

Meet the Stellar Judges & Partners of the Guthman Musical Instrument Competition 2024! 🎼

🌟 Our Judges
📌 Bosko Bosco Kante is renowned for his work on Grammy-winning albums and as the inventor of the ElectroSpit mobile talkbox. He’s a USC-trained engineer and founder of the nonprofit black music incubator HiiiWAV.
📌 Andrew McPherson is Professor of Design Engineering and Music at Imperial College London. An accomplished computing researcher and musical instrument designer, Andrew’s work includes developing Bela, an open-source audio maker platform.
📌 Kelly Snook is a former NASA Research Scientist turned music producer and technologist. Co-creator of the mi.mu gloves and developer of the Concordia musical platform, she blends science and art in her work.

🌐 Our Partners
📌 Atlanta Science Festival brings people together through the wonder of science.
📌 GoSTEAM@Tech is an educational collaborative based at Georgia Tech to create sustainable, school-based initiatives.
📌 Georgia Tech Arts connects artists, students, and faculty working at the intersection of art, science, and technology.
📌 Georgia Tech School of Industrial Design aims to fortify the designer’s role in humanizing connections between people and technology.
📌 School of Literature, Media, and Communication at Georgia Tech defines new models of intellectual inquiry that bring diverse humanistic perspectives on technological inventions.
📌 Cycling '74 creates programming platforms for musicians and artists, including Max, RNBO, Max for Live, and More.

📅 On March 9th at 7pm, our finalists will perform with their instruments at Georgia Tech’s Ferst Center for the Arts. Grab your tickets before they are gone: https://artsgatech.universitytickets.com/w/event.aspx?id=2595

Are you ready to kick off this semester with some awesome music from Georgia Tech ensembles? 🥳 Here’s what we have for you this semester! Mark your calendar now and grab a friend or two to hear our performances in person 🎶🎤🎻 If you can’t make it, all our concerts are also live-streamed on our YouTube channel. Subscribe and stay tuned! (link in bio)

🎵🔍 Exciting News for Aspiring Music Technologists!
🎓 Our Pre-College Music Technology program is back! 🚀 Immerse yourself in a two-week workshop hosted by the College of Design. Get hands-on experience, engage with our renowned faculty, and explore the world of music technology. With topics like music production, machine learning, music information retrieval systems, immersive audio and performance technologies, uncover the future of music creation with us. 🎧

This year we have Chris Moore, our Director of Undergraduate Programs and Athletic Bands, and Jocelyn Kavanagh, our Technical Director as the instructors for Summer 2024. Join us and turn your passion into a portfolio-worthy project! 🎶👩‍💻

Apply now via the QR code or via the link in our bio!

featured the 2024 Guthman competition and our 10 finalists in their recent article. Dive into their article to find out what makes each finalist a musical game changer, and get insights on instrument design in the modern age from our School of Music Chair and Professor, Jason Freeman.

Read more: https://gizmodo.com/new-musical-instruments-invented-georgia-tech-guthman-1851170490 (link also in bio)

📣 It’s finally here – meet the ten finalists of the 2024 Guthman Musical Instrument competition! 🎶 ✨ From crafting creative interactive music systems to marrying old and new technologies, these instruments are breaking boundaries across industrial design, engineering, and music. Read more about the finalists here: https://guthman.gatech.edu/2024-finalists

📅 On March 9th at 7pm, our finalists will perform with their instruments at Georgia Tech‘s Ferst Center for the Arts and the tickets for the concert are now available online: https://artsgatech.universitytickets.com/w/event.aspx?id=2595 (link also in bio) Grab yours before they are gone!

Exciting news from our faculty! 🎵🌟 Dr. Alexandria Smith, who joined us as an assistant professor last fall, showcased her exceptional skills as the co-producer, mastering, mixing, and tracking engineer on Mark Dresser’s album “Tines of Change.” This album earned a well-deserved four-star rating on DownBeat Magazine’s “Best Albums of 2023” list! 🎻✨ The album was described as “splendidly engineered,” a testament to Dr. Smith’s mastery in capturing the contra-bass’s expanded sounds and allowing Dresser’s musical exploration to shine. 🎼👏

Read more here: https://downbeat.com/magazine/2024-01

Welcome back to a new semester! We are thrilled to announce that our very own Director of Orchestral Studies and Associate Professor of Music, Chaowen Ting, has reached the final phase of the prestigious Felix Mendelssohn International Conducting Competition! 🎻✨

The Mendelssohn Competition is an event organized by Classics Management in cooperation with representatives of some of the most prestigious institutions in the field of classical music in Europe, United States, and Asia. The final phase of the competition will be held in Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic) from January the 15 th until January the 18 th 2024. Let’s rally behind Chaowen as she brings her artistry to the global stage, showcasing Georgia Tech’s musical excellence 🌍🎼👏

🍂✨ Reliving the musical magic of the past two weeks! Swipe left to savor the sounds and sights from our spectacular concerts:

Nov 9 - Treble Choir 🎶
Nov 12 - Heimweh - GT Symphony Orchestra 🎻
Nov 12 - Chamber Choir Fall Concert 🧣
Nov 12 - Chorale Fall Concert 🎤
Nov 13 - Tour de Force GT Concert Orchestra 🎼
Nov 14 - GT Jazz Ensemble II & Concert Band 🎷🎺
Nov 16 - GT Jazz Ensemble I & Symphonic Band 🎶
Nov 17 - Rockin' the West Village 🤘

Gratitude fills the air as we reflect on the harmonies that echoed through our halls. Wishing everyone a joyous and melody-filled Thanksgiving! 🦃🎶