Subject: PhD/PostDoc in Music Cognition Modeling at UPF MTG From: Dan Ellis <dpwe@xxxxxxxx> Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2006 14:04:03 -0500Dear List - Hendrik Purwins sent me the enclosed message for circulation to the list. It describes opportunities within an exciting new European project, at UPF MTG in Barcelona. DAn. Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2006 16:14:05 +0100 From: Hendrik Purwins <hpurwins@xxxxxxxx> Subject: PhD/PostDoc in Music Cognition Modeling at MTG The Music Technology Group, Technology Department at the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, Spain, offers the position of a Researcher for 2 years, starting immediately. The position will give the opportunity to write a Ph.D. thesis. The post is part of the European project "Emergent Cognition through Active Perception (EmCAP)" (http://emcap.iua.upf.es/) together with Universities of Amsterdam and Plymouth, and the Academy of Science of Hungary. The goal of the project is to investigate how complex cognitive behavior in artificial systems can emerge through interacting with an environment, and how, by becoming sensitive to the environment, such systems can autonomously develop effective representations. We develop models of memory, expectation, and attention in the realm of music cognition. Based on a small number of building blocks (feature extraction, change/novelty detection, quantization and chunking, association, expectation, attention, long term memory), a computer simulation framework is built for the exploration and extrapolation of findings and hypotheses in music cognition. Special aspects of the work are learning dynamics of self-structuring, feedback, and adaptation. This research has important implications for the saliency problem in music information retrieval and for context dependency in sound synthesis. The models are developed in collaboration with experimental psychologists, neuroscientists, and a music theorist from the project partners and the Music Academy Duesseldorf. The post-doc researcher could also get involved in teaching at the Pompeu Fabra University. Candidates for this post are expected to have a masters or Ph.D. degree in one of the following areas: Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or Mathematics. Candidates with a Masters or Ph.D. degree from Psychology, Cognitive Science, or Music Theory may be considered as well if they have solid knowledge in mathematics and programming. The candidate should demonstrate: - solid skills in at least two of the following fields: Signal Processing, Statistics, Machine Learning, Numerical Mathematics, Software Engineering. - at least basic knowledge of music theory and musicology. - good programming skills (e.g. in Matlab, Python, Lisp, or C++) - knowledge in Cognitive Psychology and Audio Signal Processing, or a high motivation to quickly get acquainted with relevant aspects of these fields The successful applicant will work within a team of six people specialized in modeling music cognition within the Music Technology Group (http://www.mtg.upf.edu/). With around 50 researchers the Music Technology Group, led by Xavier Serra, is one of the world's largest and most dynamic academic research centers for music technology. Among other fields, the group has especially gained reputation for Sound Synthesis, Music Information Retrieval, and Interactive Music. The lab is located in a historic building right in between the old town of Barcelona and the sea. For more information please do not hesitate to contact Hendrik Purwins, tel. 0034 62 77 59 557 hpurwins AT iua DOT upf DOT es An application letter including a CV and a covering letter should be sent to sgurrera AT iua DOT upf DOT edu Applications can be sent immediately and are processed in the order received until the position is filled. ====================================================== Dr. Hendrik Purwins Visiting Professor Music Technology Group UPF Barcelona mail: hpurwins_AT_iua_DOT_upf_DOT_es web: http://www.iua.upf.es/~hpurwins/ ======================================================