Photo Courtesy of Nolan Gasser
What makes you press play? Dr. Nolan Gasser—architect of Pandora’s Music Genome Project and music consultant for Google DeepMind—returns to reveal how human insight and AI are teaming up to unlock the secrets of musical taste. We dive into his new PBS special, Why You Like It: Decoding Musical Taste, an interactive experience that blends live music, science, and a one-of-a-kind app that generates personalized playlists using cutting-edge AI. Discover the art and science of musical taste – and how technology is reshaping the future of musical preference.
Guest
Dr. Nolan Gasser was a guest on this show back in Ep. 67 discussing his best-selling book Why You Like It: The Science and Culture of Musical Taste. That book has led to a PBS Special we’ll be telling you about today, called Why You Like It: Decoding Musical Taste. Dr. Gasser was the chief architect of Pandora’s Music Genome Project. He’s a professional performer and composer in multiple genres, including jazz, opera, musicals, film scores. His compositions have been performed in venues including Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Center, and the Rose Bowl. He’s a musicologist and was the subject of the documentary, “Musicology.” In the tech world: Dr. Gasser co-founded Katch Data, a data company that combines human and artificial intelligence to quantify individual taste and works with major media players including Meta, Paramount, and Comcast. His other Music AI projects include a role as expert music consultant for Google DeepMind on their cutting-edge AI initiatives.
Notes
We discuss:
- We go inside Dr. Gasser’s new interactive PBS show, “Why You Like It: Decoding Musical Taste.”
- The show combines Gasser’s insights on the science of musical taste with a live concert, animations, and a pioneering interactive app.
- The story behind this program.
- Program includes 8 segments, including the brain, physics, culture, and psychology.
- Deeper Discovery features available for each topic in the app.
- A personalized playlist is generated based on user responses.
- Gasser’s all-star world-fusion band, The Mighty Mighty
- Gasser’s Katch Data is a leading “genomic” data company that combines human & artificial intelligence to understand, quantify, and predict individual taste across preference-driven products.
Connect/Other Resources
- Book: Why You Like It: The Science and Culture of Musical Taste, by Nolan Gasser, PhD
- PBS Special: Why You Like It: Decoding Musical Taste
- Dr. Gasser’s website: www.nolangasser.com
- Dr. Gasser on LinkedIn
- Instagram: @drnolangasser
- Katch Data website: https://www.katchdata.com/
- The Mighty Mighty band
Other episodes we mentioned or that you may enjoy:
- Ep. 67: “Why You Like It: The Science and Culture of Musical Taste,” with author Nolan Gasser, PhD
- Ep. 181: What does AI mean for the world of music? With Nicholas Lehman
- Ep. 195: Classical Regenerated – AyseDeniz on AI, Creativity, and Bridging the Past and Future of Music
- View all episodes related to Science & Health or Education & Community
In-Episode Promo
MIXX ASSISTIVE AUDIO ADAPTIVE EAR PLUGS (adjustable): I’m a big fan of ear plugs, and I’m also a minimalist. So I was really intrigued to hear that Assistive Audio released a new pair of adjustable ear plugs – one pair for multiple uses. A dial on the end allows you to choose the noise protection that’s best for you, whether you’re at a live music event, want focused study time, or a quiet commute. Each order of these Adaptive Ear Plugs includes three sizes (S/M/L) so you can experiment and find the size that works best for you. And they come with a fun and practical, durable storage case. The ear plugs are made from hypo allergenic medical grade silicone that is easy to clean and fully reusable. Check them out at Amazon.
SHEET MUSIC DIRECT: One of my favorite ways to enhance my life with music is to play just-for-fun songs on the piano at the end of the day. My current favorites are ABBA songs and songs from the 80s, like We Are The World. With Sheet Music Direct, I can explore new music, track my favorites, play and download scores any time, from any device. This online treasure trove of digital sheet music is powered by music publisher Hal Leonard and has over a million arrangements—ready to view, listen to, and download instantly. Prices start at just $0.99 and include selections for every instrument, genre, and skill level. My family has relied on Sheet Music Direct for years for musical joy and convenience. For an entire musical library at your fingertips, visit SheetMusicDirect.com.
Coda
Nolan shares the story behind is Human-AI collaboration, “The Wisdom of the Pond” on YouTube.
Closing Words
And that is a little bit of The Wisdom of the Pond. You can listen to the full three-minute YouTube video in the show notes. Thank you so much to Dr. Gasser for joining us today, for putting this interactive PBS special out into the world – and for the fascinating information on the art and science of musical taste, and how AI plays into the equation.
If there’s a topic or guest that you would like to hear featured on this show, or if you have a question for me that you’d like to hear answered on the show, please let me know. You can always connect with me on email (mindy@mpetersonmusic.com), Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
Thank you so much for joining me today. Until next time, may your life be enhanced with music.
If you enjoyed this episode, please:
- Follow us in your podcast app: This is FREE and conveniently delivers each new episode to your device when it releases, so you don’t have to search for it.
- Share us with others: If you know of someone who would enjoy this episode, please share it with them! It’s easy to do right in your podcast listening app. Just tap the Share feature for options to share by text, email, or social media (or share this page).
- Rate & review our show: This fuels our creative energy, and also helps others find the show!
Note: We occasionally use affiliate links for products and services we whole-heartedly believe in. We may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, for purchases made through these links. This helps support the free content we provide.