Pitch Exploration Lab at PennState

21/05/2026

We're getting involved with music & leisure studies, including this new initiative promoting adult wellness and community music. Stay tuned!

Recreational music’s impact on adult wellness is the focus of a new research workgroup funded by the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) at Penn State.

22/04/2026

Undergrad research in action!

04/02/2026

Happy new year, we’re back at it!

02/12/2025

Participating in Giving Tuesday? Check out our page tonight or tomorrow!

Join me and make a gift to GivingTuesday 2025.

02/12/2025

For some, identifying a musical note by ear alone is nearly impossible, but for those with the ability to instantly recognize or produce a note without any reference tone, also known as absolute pitch, it comes naturally.

Absolute pitch, more commonly known as perfect pitch, has long fascinated researchers in science and music, according to Joanna Kieran-Mendez, a third-year undergraduate student majoring in health policy and administration at Penn State. In collaboration with the College of Arts and Architecture’s Pitch Exploration Lab (PEL), and supported by a 2025 Erickson Discovery Grant, Kieran-Mendez has set out to better understand what makes this ability so extraordinary.

Learn more: https://tinyurl.com/3w5hvjvu

In collaboration with the College of Arts and Architecture’s Pitch Exploration Lab, and supported by a 2025 Erickson Discovery Grant, third-year undergraduate student Joanna Kieran-Mendez has set out to better understand what makes perfect pitch so extraordinary.

12/11/2025

Undergraduate student Joanna “Joey” Kieran Mendez is the labs project coordinator featured in the news at Penn State today. Go Joey!

19/10/2025

A combination of musical experience multiplies musical abilities later in life: Our latest exciting work highlights the power of interdisciplinary collaboration in advancing our understanding of music and psychology. 👏

🔗 Read the article: frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1579714/full

30/07/2025

Pleased to share our latest article in Frontiers in Psychology.

21/05/2025

Joey will be conducting research at the University of Toronto, focusing on the neurophysiological mechanisms of absolute pitch. Her project, titled “Examining the Neural Basis of Pitch Perception and Vocal Production Using EEG and fNIRS,” aims to explore how the brain processes pitch and supports vocal performance. Following this, she will head to New York City to participate in the Columbia University Summer Public Health Scholars Program. There, she will audit public health courses and engage in internships across the NYC area, gaining hands-on experience in the field.