Computational Models of Music Perception and Cognition

Computational Models of Music Perception

This repository contains materials for an 3 part lecture on the topic of computational models of music perception and cognition. The lectures are broken down into the following sections that can be put together given the level of the students:

The level of the course is aimed at upper level undergraduate and graduate students.

By the end of the lecture, the students should be able to answer:

  1. Why would a music perception researcher want to use a computational model in their own program of research?
  2. What is the difference between a statistical and computational model?
  3. Can you list an example of an assumption that a modeler might need to make in order to create a computational model of music perception?
  4. What are some problems that concern ground truth and musical data?
  5. What are three examples of questions that have been investigated with computational models in music perception?

Lesson Outline

Email David John Baker for access to deck, audio, and score files if want to edit, copy or change.

What Are Computational Models of Music Perception and Why Do We Need Them?

The opening section is either meant to be a slow introduction to computational models for undergraduate students who have not been exposed to this type of research before or a quicker introduction for graduate students who have some degree of familarity with this.

The lesson assumes at least some of the students in the class have either music literacy (not all) and a general interest in music perception and cognition.

The main purpose of the Computational Model slides is to introduce idea that

  1. Computation is a much more general term than most people think (people can be computers)
  2. Models are not the real world, nor can they be

After a brief discussion of making sure everyone is on shared language, we move to thinking about why we might want to make models.

The point to make sure is clearly understood is that models allow for ideas to stand independelty, formalized, and ready to be critiqued by others.

Before going deeper, an example is provided where a model might predict easy or hard melodies. The purpose of this is to make clear that a model follows input output format. This leads to a discussion of ground truth and what is meant by that in this context.

After giving this difficulty of melody example, we then address several new terms

A check for understanding/synthesis of materials is done with a Think, Pair, Share with Wiggins 2007 quote on the deck.

If time permits, a plenary activity asking students to use all terms to discuss a possible research question in music perception allows for a final check for understanding before the break.

Activity: Key Finding with Melody

The group activity is introduced second to break more heavy, technical discussion.

Students are tasked with creating their own key finding algorithm for melodies. A brief primer is given of what is meant by key in this context (Name + Mode). Text here was written assuming students have near mimimal understanding of music notation. Audio examples are provided for each excerpt.

The task is explained with an example of how this might work.

ALERT! I have not tried this in practice yet and do not know if the instructions are clear enough or the task is too complicated

Structure the time to be

Several plenary review questions are given to capture some higher level points that will hopefully emerge from the task.

Survey and Review of Literature

The survey and review of literature attempts to give a high level, case study inspired understanding of this area of research. The first several slides review the history of this type of research.

Then three case studies are presented looking at

These three topic areas were chosen due to my familiarity with the programs of research.

BOLDED papers are explicitly referenced in the lecture slides.

A final plenary/learning goals check is at the end of the lesson.

References

Cancino-Chacón, C. E., Grachten, M., Goebl, W., & Widmer, G. (2018). Computational Models of Expressive Music Performance: A Comprehensive and Critical Review. Frontiers in Digital Humanities, 5, 25. https://doi.org/10.3389/fdigh.2018.00025

Cannon, J. (2021). Expectancy-based rhythmic entrainment as continuous Bayesian inference. PLOS Computational Biology, 17(6), e1009025. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009025

Collins, T., Tillmann, B., Barrett, F. S., Delbé, C., & Janata, P. (2014). A combined model of sensory and cognitive representations underlying tonal expectations in music: From audio signals to behavior. Psychological Review, 121(1), 33-65. doi: 10.1037/a0034695

Desain, P., & Honing, H. (1999). Computational Models of Beat Induction: The Rule-Based Approach. Journal of New Music Research, 28(1), 29–42. https://doi.org/10.1076/jnmr.28.1.29.3123

Desain, P., Honing, H., Vanthienen, H., & Windsor, L. (1998). Computational Modeling of Music Cognition: Problem or Solution? Music Perception, 16(1), 151–166. https://doi.org/10.2307/40285783

Deutsch, D., & Feroe, J. (1981). The internal representation of pitch sequences in tonal music. Psychological Review, 88(6), 503–522. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.88.6.503

Eerola, T. (2012). Modeling Listeners’ Emotional Response to Music. Topics in Cognitive Science, 4(4), 607–624. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1756-8765.2012.01188.x

Farrell, S., & Lewandowsky, S. (2018). Computational modeling of cognition and behavior. Cambridge University Press.

Guest, O., & Martin, A. E. (2021). How Computational Modeling Can Force Theory Building in Psychological Science. 14.

Harrison, P. M. C., & Pearce, M. T. (2020). Simultaneous consonance in music perception and composition. Psychological Review, 127(2), 216–244. https://doi.org/10.1037/rev0000169

Honing, H. (2006). Computational Modeling of Music Cognition: A Case Study on Model Selection. Music Perception, 23(5), 365–376. https://doi.org/10.1525/mp.2006.23.5.365

Kim, S.-G. (2022). On the encoding of natural music in computational models and human brains. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 16, 928841. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2022.928841

Large, E. W., Herrera, J. A., & Velasco, M. J. (2015). Neural Networks for Beat Perception in Musical Rhythm. Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnsys.2015.00159

Margulis, E. H. (2005). A Model of Melodic Expectation. Music Perception, 22(4), 663–714. https://doi.org/10.1525/mp.2005.22.4.663

Mullensiefen, D., & Wiggins, G. (n.d.). Sloboda and Parker’s recall paradigm for melodic memory: A new, computational perspective. 26.

Pearce, M. T. (2018). Statistical learning and probabilistic prediction in music cognition: Mechanisms of stylistic enculturation: Enculturation: statistical learning and prediction. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1423(1), 378–395. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.13654

Povel, D.-J., & Essens, P. (1985). Perception of Temporal Patterns. Music Perception, 2(4), 411–440. https://doi.org/10.2307/40285311

Rohrmeier, M., & Rebuschat, P. (2012). Implicit Learning and Acquisition of Music. Topics in Cognitive Science, 4(4), 525–553. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1756-8765.2012.01223.x

Sadakata, M., Desain, P., & Honing, H. (2006). The Bayesian Way to Relate Rhythm Perception and Production. Music Perception, 23(3), 269–288. https://doi.org/10.1525/mp.2006.23.3.269

Temperley, D. (2013). Computational Models of Music Cognition. In The Psychology of Music (pp. 327–368). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-381460-9.00021-3

van der Steen, M. C. (Marieke), & Keller, P. E. (2013). The ADaptation and Anticipation Model (ADAM) of sensorimotor synchronization. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00253

van der Weij, B., Pearce, M. T., & Honing, H. (2017). A Probabilistic Model of Meter Perception: Simulating Enculturation. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 824. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00824

Vuust, P., & Witek, M. A. G. (2014). Rhythmic complexity and predictive coding: A novel approach to modeling rhythm and meter perception in music. Frontiers in Psychology, 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01111

Wiggins, G. A. (2007). Models of musical similarity. Musicae Scientiae, 11(1_suppl), 315–338. https://doi.org/10.1177/102986490701100112

Wiggins, G. A. (2010). Cue Abstraction, Paradigmatic Analysis and Information Dynamics: Towards Music Analysis by Cognitive Model. Musicae Scientiae, 14(2_suppl), 307–331. https://doi.org/10.1177/10298649100140S217