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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. Links and notes related to this episode can be found at https://mpetersonmusic.com/podcast/episode207 Connect with us: Newsletter: https://mpetersonmusic.com/subscribe Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EnhanceLifeMusic/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enhancelifemusic/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mpetersonpiano/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/musicenhances Sponsorship information: https://mpetersonmusic.com/podcast/sponsor Leave us a review on Podchaser.com! https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/enhance-life-with-music-909096 In-episode promo: Sheet Music Direct https://www.sheetmusicdirect.com MIXX Assistive Audio Adaptive Ear Plugs (check them out at Amazon)
Nolan Gasser, a composer, pianist, and musicologist, is the architect of Pandora Radio's Music Genome Project. He's also the author of Why You Like It: The Science & Culture of Musical Taste. Co-hosts: Jonathan Friedmann & Joey Angel-Field Producer-engineer: Mike Tomren Nolan's websitehttps://www.nolangasser.com/ Why You Like It (book page)https://www.whyyoulikeit.com/ Nolan's TEDx Talkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3wzSjKKvf4 Nolan's NASA music (GLAST Prelude)https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov//10251 Amusing Jews Merch Storehttps://www.amusingjews.com/merch#!/ Subscribe to the Amusing Jews podcasthttps://www.spreaker.com/show/amusing-jews Adat Chaverim – Congregation for Humanistic Judaism, Los Angeleshttps://www.humanisticjudaismla.org/ Jewish Museum of the American Westhttps://www.jmaw.org/ Atheists United Studioshttps://www.atheistsunited.org/au-studios
What makes that song you like… a song that you like? Nolan Gasser, the brains behind Pandora's Music Genome Project, is here to tell us how he broke music down its core components. And then he helps Paula continue her quest to write a hot Christmas song that'll knock Mariah Carey off her perch! And speaking of music - or “music” - it's time for Mailbag! Glockenspiel Edition. GUEST Nolan Gasser http://www.nolangasser.com http://www.whyyoulikeit.com HOUSE BAND Justin Berkobien @jbmale on instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When you hear the striking of a chord, there is far more going on than just moving air particles. Music incites emotional and often physical sensations. Critically acclaimed composer, author, and musicologist Nolan Gasser explores the human relationship with music in his book, “Why You Like It: The Science and Culture of Musical Taste.” In this episode of Watching America, Gasser and host Alan Campbell discuss several pieces of music in light of the psychology and science behind their popularity. If you love music (and you probably do), don't miss this episode! Nolan Gasser is the architect of Pandora Radio's “Music Genome Project.” nolangasser.com
I discuss Nolan Gasser's book Why You Like It: The Science and Culture of Musical Taste, 5 genres I didn't know, and my general unease about reading Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. I perform some video game music as well.
Why do we love the music we love? In Why You Like IT: The Science & Culture of Musical Taste (Flatiron Books, 2019) musicologist Nolan Gasser, architect of Pandora Radio's Music Genome Project, discusses how psychology, anthropology, history, sociology, and culture combine to define our musical tastes—what he calls “inculturing.” From the Northern California Redwoods to Paris to Africa, from Nashville to New York City, and from medieval music to Phillip Glass to Led Zeppelin to Taylor Swift, Dr. Gasser takes us on a ride through our minds and how they process, understand and, yes, like music. David Hamilton Golland is professor of history and immediate past president of the faculty senate at Governors State University in Chicago's southland. @DHGolland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/psychology
Why do we love the music we love? In Why You Like IT: The Science & Culture of Musical Taste (Flatiron Books, 2019) musicologist Nolan Gasser, architect of Pandora Radio's Music Genome Project, discusses how psychology, anthropology, history, sociology, and culture combine to define our musical tastes—what he calls “inculturing.” From the Northern California Redwoods to Paris to Africa, from Nashville to New York City, and from medieval music to Phillip Glass to Led Zeppelin to Taylor Swift, Dr. Gasser takes us on a ride through our minds and how they process, understand and, yes, like music. David Hamilton Golland is professor of history and immediate past president of the faculty senate at Governors State University in Chicago's southland. @DHGolland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science-technology-and-society
Why do we love the music we love? In Why You Like IT: The Science & Culture of Musical Taste (Flatiron Books, 2019) musicologist Nolan Gasser, architect of Pandora Radio's Music Genome Project, discusses how psychology, anthropology, history, sociology, and culture combine to define our musical tastes—what he calls “inculturing.” From the Northern California Redwoods to Paris to Africa, from Nashville to New York City, and from medieval music to Phillip Glass to Led Zeppelin to Taylor Swift, Dr. Gasser takes us on a ride through our minds and how they process, understand and, yes, like music. David Hamilton Golland is professor of history and immediate past president of the faculty senate at Governors State University in Chicago's southland. @DHGolland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/anthropology
Why do we love the music we love? In Why You Like IT: The Science & Culture of Musical Taste (Flatiron Books, 2019) musicologist Nolan Gasser, architect of Pandora Radio's Music Genome Project, discusses how psychology, anthropology, history, sociology, and culture combine to define our musical tastes—what he calls “inculturing.” From the Northern California Redwoods to Paris to Africa, from Nashville to New York City, and from medieval music to Phillip Glass to Led Zeppelin to Taylor Swift, Dr. Gasser takes us on a ride through our minds and how they process, understand and, yes, like music. David Hamilton Golland is professor of history and immediate past president of the faculty senate at Governors State University in Chicago's southland. @DHGolland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science
Why do we love the music we love? In Why You Like IT: The Science & Culture of Musical Taste (Flatiron Books, 2019) musicologist Nolan Gasser, architect of Pandora Radio's Music Genome Project, discusses how psychology, anthropology, history, sociology, and culture combine to define our musical tastes—what he calls “enculturating.” From the Northern California Redwoods to Paris to Africa, from Nashville to New York City, and from medieval music to Phillip Glass to Led Zeppelin to Taylor Swift, Dr. Gasser takes us on a ride through our minds and how they process, understand and, yes, like music. David Hamilton Golland is professor of history and immediate past president of the faculty senate at Governors State University in Chicago's southland. @DHGolland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/music
Why do we love the music we love? In Why You Like IT: The Science & Culture of Musical Taste (Flatiron Books, 2019) musicologist Nolan Gasser, architect of Pandora Radio's Music Genome Project, discusses how psychology, anthropology, history, sociology, and culture combine to define our musical tastes—what he calls “inculturing.” From the Northern California Redwoods to Paris to Africa, from Nashville to New York City, and from medieval music to Phillip Glass to Led Zeppelin to Taylor Swift, Dr. Gasser takes us on a ride through our minds and how they process, understand and, yes, like music. David Hamilton Golland is professor of history and immediate past president of the faculty senate at Governors State University in Chicago's southland. @DHGolland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/performing-arts
Why do we love the music we love? In Why You Like IT: The Science & Culture of Musical Taste (Flatiron Books, 2019) musicologist Nolan Gasser, architect of Pandora Radio's Music Genome Project, discusses how psychology, anthropology, history, sociology, and culture combine to define our musical tastes—what he calls “inculturing.” From the Northern California Redwoods to Paris to Africa, from Nashville to New York City, and from medieval music to Phillip Glass to Led Zeppelin to Taylor Swift, Dr. Gasser takes us on a ride through our minds and how they process, understand and, yes, like music. David Hamilton Golland is professor of history and immediate past president of the faculty senate at Governors State University in Chicago's southland. @DHGolland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/sociology
Why do we love the music we love? In Why You Like IT: The Science & Culture of Musical Taste (Flatiron Books, 2019) musicologist Nolan Gasser, architect of Pandora Radio's Music Genome Project, discusses how psychology, anthropology, history, sociology, and culture combine to define our musical tastes—what he calls “inculturing.” From the Northern California Redwoods to Paris to Africa, from Nashville to New York City, and from medieval music to Phillip Glass to Led Zeppelin to Taylor Swift, Dr. Gasser takes us on a ride through our minds and how they process, understand and, yes, like music. David Hamilton Golland is professor of history and immediate past president of the faculty senate at Governors State University in Chicago's southland. @DHGolland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
SUPPORT MUSIC IS NOT A GENRE ON PATREON WATCH MUSIC is not a GENRE VIDEOS and MORE And now for something completely different from MUSIC is not a GENRE … an entire episode dedicated to a BOOK! This week I discuss Nolan Gasser's Why You Like It: The Science and Culture of Musical Taste. Find a comfy seat, because it's a big one. First of all, I LOVE that this book exists. I love that someone cares enough about music to write a 600+ page book just about LISTENING to it. The two biggest impressions you'll get from reading this are: A. Nolan knows his stuff inside & out; and B. He realllly loves music. It would be an understatement to say this book is comprehensive, thorough, broad & deep. Nolan is voracious for music of all kinds, and reading this book will make you hungry too. As you know, I appreciate anyone – artist or fan – whose musical tastes veer far & wide, who don't pigeonhole themselves into one or a small handful of artists or styles. I've read other very well done books on more specific topics (I'll discuss those in future episodes) that are a little myopic & insular – i.e. they're such insider books that the author doesn't spend a lot of time (if any) connecting that music to the rest of the world. This author is the opposite of that, and why wouldn't he be! Nolan Gasser is a composer himself, and the chief architect of Pandora's Music Genome Project. Ever wonder how streaming services have become so good at predicting what a good next song to play is, or what your tastes are in general? It all started with this. I won't go into the history here (it's in this book), except to say that a massive amount of resources & human power went into research & development, resulting in the granddaddy of all predictive music algorithms. And while I find all of them to be lesser than an actual human DJ making choices, as the years pass they're much more hit than miss. Now for the book. Wow. It delivers on the title's promise in spades. About 2/5ths of it is on music theory – and while I learned most of it in college, it was an incredible refresher. Even though the author says you can skip all that and get to the actual “why you like it” part, I think you'll understand his reasoning much better if you absorb as much theory as possible. He also includes “interlude” chapters that connect to science, math, culture & psychology. They're short but quite illuminating. The rest of the book is broken into sections focusing on musical “genotypes”. They're umbrella terms for a fan's primary taste: musical theater, pop, rock, jazz, hip hop, electronica, world & classical. Nolan says some stuff about the deficiencies of genre labeling that made me love this book from the get-go, so he's well aware of how reductive these categories are. Even with that caveat, he manages to flesh out each genotype & connect these imaginary fans' tastes to broader spectra of music. It's fun trying to figure out what genotype you are. For me – as you can predict – I didn't align perfectly with any of them. The book promised a test at its website, but sadly that page is still blank. As someone who loves tests/surveys/questionnaires, I hope he eventually gets to it. In the end, this book is kinda like a story or work of non-fiction that claims to have the answer to “the meaning of life”. It never quite reveals the magic you were hoping for, but it's so well done that where it compels your brain to go is worth the trip. If anything, it gives you the tools to find the answers yourself. Listen on & stay tuned for the music video for this song: REC – “Polymath” (from the album Syzygy for the Weird) --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/musicisnotagenre/support
Nolan Gasser is a critically acclaimed composer, pianist, and musicologist – most notably, the architect of Pandora Radio's Music Genome Project and the company's chief musicologist from its founding in 1999. He holds a Ph.D. in Musicology from Stanford University. His original compositions have been performed in numerous prestigious venues. Pandora was a pioneer in music streaming - arriving on the scene well before Spotify. They also popularized the concept of automated music recommendations - realizing their vision of creating a personalized DJ for all of us. We speak with Nolan about how Pandora got started and why the music genome project was so critical to its success. We also talk about his recent book that tries to explain what shapes our musical tastes and why we like music. You can learn more about Nolan's music, research and other works and get in touch with him through: nolangasser.com ... Beatseeker has been selected by Feedspot as one of the Top Music Technology Podcasts on the web: https://blog.feedspot.com/music_technology_podcasts/ Learn more: beatseeker.fm Insta: @beatseekerpod Twitter: @beatseekerpod Facebook: facebook.com/beatseekerpod Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/beatseeker Beatseeker is sponsored by the Boombox Music League: boomboxsoftware.com
Are your kids influenced by the music you listen to as a parent? Dr. Nolan Gasser wrote the book "Why You Like It: The Science and Culture of Musical Taste" to explore how we develop our musical tastes from a young age -- and how you can influence it.
Dr. Nolan Gasser was the chief architect of Pandora’s Music Genome Project, and is author of the 2019 book, Why You Like It: The Science and Culture of Musical Taste. Dr. Gasser discusses his role in the Music Genome Project and the ethical component of its design. He then explains some of the most important factors that influence our individual musical tastes. Links and notes related to this episode can be found at https://mpetersonmusic.com/podcast/episode67 Facebook Page Instagram LinkedIn Twitter
Did you know the can opener was invented 50 years AFTER the tin can? So how did they open cans before that? That’s one of the interesting stories about product packaging that kicks off this episode of the podcast. Source: Thomas Hine author of The Total Package (https://amzn.to/3mlNoC1). If you watch the news, you would think the world falling apart and going to hell. Yet it is totally NOT true. Sure, the world has problems not the least of which is the corona virus but when you look at all the indicators of well-being in the world, things are actually going pretty well. . In fact we are living in an age of enlightenment according to Harvard professor Stephen Pinker. Author of the book, Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science Humanism and Progress, (http://amzn.to/2FKuhNb). Listen as Stephen reveals why things are much better than you probably think. What he says will make you feel great! We all have our own musical tastes and preferences. Where do they come from? What do they say about us. That’s what Nolan Gasser is here to discuss Nolan is a composer and musicologist who was the chief architect of the Music Genome Project, which powers Pandora Radio. He is also author of Why You Like It: The Science and Culture of Musical Taste (https://amzn.to/31BCtfy) What’s the difference between flammable and inflammable? It’s weird because they are two words that sound as if they are opposites but actually mean the same thing. Listen as I explain why one of the words is 400 years older than the other and where it came from. https://www.thoughtco.com/difference-between-flammable-and-inflammable-607314 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this edition of The Arts Section, the first of 2020, host Gary Zidek talks to the director of a new 3D film about renowned choreographer Merce Cunningham. The Dueling Critics, Kerry Reid and Catey Sullivan – who's filling in for Jonathan Abarbanel, will review a new production titled DEATH TAX. A little later, Gary sits down with the artistic director of a Chicago-based chamber ensemble that's making classical music more accessible. Plus, a conversation with musicologist Nolan Gasser about his new book about music tastes.
On The Gist, are children growing horns? In the interview, how does Pandora know what music I want to hear? That’s all thanks to the work of Nolan Gasser, musicologist and the architect of Pandora’s Music Genome Project. He’s here to talk the origins of the project, the classification of music species, and why Sarah McLachlan fans might be in for a surprise. Gasser’s new book is Why You Like It: The Science & Culture of Musical Taste. In the Spiel, the most ambitious climate deal the world has ever seen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On The Gist, are children growing horns? In the interview, how does Pandora know what music I want to hear? That’s all thanks to the work of Nolan Gasser, musicologist and the architect of Pandora’s Music Genome Project. He’s here to talk the origins of the project, the classification of music species, and why Sarah McLachlan fans might be in for a surprise. Gasser’s new book is Why You Like It: The Science & Culture of Musical Taste. In the Spiel, the most ambitious climate deal the world has ever seen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
My guest, Nolan Gasser, was the first musicologist hired by the creators of Pandora Radio- and the chief architect of the so-called Music Genome Project. His book is titled "Why You Like It: The Science & Culture of Musical Taste."
On this episode of Rock'N Vino we sit down with Nolan Gasser - he's a critically acclaimed musician, musicologist, the architect of Pandora's Music Genome project and author of the recently released book Why You Like It; The Science & Culture of Musical Taste. We chat with Nolan about his love of music, the science behind matching what some would believe are unrelated songs together, his love of wine, and of course his new book! Find out more about Why You Like It at whyyoulikeit.com
Nolan Gasser, Author of Why You Like It: The Science and Culture of Musical Taste
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