ï~~THE MUSIC TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM AT MCGILL UNIVERSITY
Gary P. Scavone and Nathan Whetsell
Schulich School of Music, McGill University
Montr6al, Quebec, Canada
ary.
[email protected]
ABSTRACT
The Music Technology program at McGill University prepares students for commercial and academic opportunities
in music technology, offering degrees at the master's and
doctoral levels as well as two minor programs at the undergraduate level. Areas of research include audio signal
processing, music information retrieval, human-computer
interface design and analysis, computational acoustic modeling, and music perception and cognition.
1. INTRODUCTION
The Music Technology program at McGill University affords students the opportunity to explore music creation,
technology, and research in an environment that boasts an
acclaimed performance tradition and state-of-the-art facilities.
The Schulich School of Music is recognized as one
of the premiere music schools in North America. Active
programs in Performance, Composition, Sound Recording, Music Education, Theory, and Musicology offer additional avenues for students to explore and develop their
musical interests.
In addition, the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research
in Music, Media, and Technology (CIRMMT) brings together researchers and their students from McGill University, l'Universit6 de Montr6al, and l'Universit6 de Sherbrooke. For extracurricular activities, Montreal offers a
thriving and varied music scene.
2. PERSONNEL & STUDENTS
There are five full-time professors of Music Technology:
Philippe Depalle, Ichiro Fujinaga, Stephen McAdams,
Gary Scavone, and Marcelo Wanderley. Additional staff
includes a chief electronics technician, Darryl Cameron,
adjunct professors Axel Mulder, Bruce Pennycook, and
Marc-Pierre Verge, and an instructor, Kojiro Umezaki.
The current student population includes five postdoctoral researchers, nineteen doctoral students, nine master's students, and about thirty undergraduates in the Minor programs.
nathan
[email protected]
3. DEGREE PROGRAMS
McGill's Music Technology Program offers degrees at the
master's and doctoral levels, as well as two undergraduate
Minors. The undergraduate programs emphasize practical
training in the design, development, and use of software
for audio and new media processing. The graduate programs focus on research.
3.1. Undergraduate
The Musical Science and Technology Minor program focuses on interdisciplinary topics in science and technology applied to music. The goal of the program is to help
prepare students for commercial jobs in the audio technology sector and/or for subsequent graduate study and
research. The program is designed for students who have
a strong background in the sciences and prior experience
with mathematics and computer programming.
The goal of the Musical Applications of Technology
Minor is to provide instruction in practical and creative
applications of technology for musical purposes to a broad
range of students from varied backgrounds.
3.2. Graduate
The Master of Arts degree in Music Technology is a twoyear thesis-based program. Instruction is provided via
graduate seminars that are typically completed in the first
year of study. Students then concentrate on thesis research
during their second year. Applicants must have a bachelor degree in a related technological field and demonstrate
evidence of expertise in music technology.
The PhD in Music Technology is a research-intensive
program culminating in a thesis that demonstrates significant contribution to the field. Applicants at the doctoral
level must demonstrate strong skills in music technology,
including previous research experience and the ability to
write research reports. PhD applicants are typically expected to have completed a master's degree in science or
technology.
4. RESEARCH
Research is loosely organized under the five full-time faculty members and their respective research labs. At the
