PHOTO: COURTESY OF CLAIRE SOUTHARD
“A lot of people go to either a school we have in our town or the University of Missouri system … so there’s not a lot of discussion or awareness of places beyond that.” Once she learned about the Institute, she recalls, “My impression was that MIT was a school for engineers.” A virtual version of Campus Preview Weekend (because her acceptance came during the Covid-19 pandemic) opened her eyes to more possibilities. “I found out that MIT was a lot more than I thought it was.”
As an undergraduate majoring in Computation and Cognition (Course 6-9), a joint curriculum offered by the departments of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Southard, an accomplished pianist, incorporated music into her demanding schedule by playing with the MIT Wind Ensemble. The group’s twice-weekly rehearsals and multiple concerts provided a welcome structure that helped her stay engaged in the arts.
Nearing the end of her undergraduate years, it occurred to Southard that finding a way to apply the knowledge gained in her fields of study with research in the humanities would be the best way to craft a truly rewarding career. MIT’s new graduate program in music technology and computation was an ideal fit. She is now pursuing her master’s degree with support from the John Piscitello Music Technology Fund, established by John Piscitello ’91, SM ’93, who, like Southard, studied computer science at MIT while remaining an active musician. He spent years in the tech world, including at Google in its early years, before transitioning to a career as a composer, music producer, bass player, and pianist.
In fact, Piscitello is an example of an MIT alumnus who did just what Southard hopes to do. “I have read about him,” she says, “and it’s really inspiring for me to see someone who’s taken the path of having this technical background but still held onto that passion for music or the arts… That’s exciting to me about this grad program, too. I don’t have to just be a computer scientist and then in my free time play the piano.”
A new and exciting discipline
The Music Technology and Computation Program focuses on computational approaches to music that include music information retrieval, AI and machine learning, generative algorithms, interaction and performance systems, digital instrument design, audio signal processing, and tools for creative expression.
For her graduate work, says Southard, “I want to pull in my background in neuroscience and computer science to work on using the electrical signals in the brain.” The goal is to create a machine learning model that can recognize a song someone is singing in their head based on their brain activity. “When you imagine a song, your brain produces a pattern of electrical signals that can be recorded with sensors. But music has patterns, too—melody, tempo, etc. So, the idea is to find the connections between the patterns in your brain activity and the patterns in music,” she explains, with the hope that in the future, “we could create this sort of pipeline straight from your brainwaves… directly to music creation without needing any sort of physical activity at all.”
This research, which she hopes will someday make music more accessible to those who have lost the fine motor control required to play instruments, was inspired by a beloved math teacher and accomplished pianist from Southard’s high school in Missouri who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. “He lost the ability to control his fingers the way that he had been able to before,” she recalls. “That really made me think how difficult that would be for me and for other musicians, because music becomes an integral part of your life. So, I want to find a way to make our ability to play music less dependent on physical abilities.”
Appreciation for alumni support
Southard is grateful for the fellowship support she is receiving, because the graduate program “is not something I would’ve been able to cover on my own.” During her undergraduate years, she received scholarship support established by another musical alumnus, David Tweed ’66, who spent his career in electrical engineering before shifting gears and touring with the International Flute Orchestra as a semi-pro musician.
Tweed was among the generous alumni and friends of the Institute who helped fund construction of MIT’s new Edward and Joyce Linde Music Building, which opened in February 2025 and provides much improved facilities for practice, performance, classroom instruction, and research to MIT students.
“I’m really grateful for all of the emphasis that MIT puts on the arts and humanities because I think it’s really rounded out my experience here,” says Southard. She is considering further graduate work in music technology after completing the one-year master’s program, “assuming it’s as exciting as I think it’s going to be for me!”
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