CACTUS Music Lab @ ASU
Cognition, Analysis, Computation, and Theory Under the Sun
Music Research with CACTUS
The CACTUS Lab in the School of Music, Dance and Theater at Arizona State University is a community for interdisciplinary, collaborative music research. The lab provides opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to develop skills and learn about the research process through applied practice. We cultivate curiosity about music in all its forms and believe in making research accessible and fun.
Director
Dr. Lindsey Reymore
Lindsey Reymore is an Assistant Professor of Music Cognition and Theory at Arizona State University in the School of Music, Dance and Theatre.
Reymore studies what sound sounds like—the qualities and characteristics that are evoked when we experience sound (formally, this musical parameter is called “timbre,” pronounced “tam-burr”). How and why does sound carry so much meaning, and how does that meaning shape the moods, emotions, colors, and stories we experience when listening to music?
Her research applies interdisciplinary methodologies, using approaches from behavioral psychology and data analytics in combination with music analysis. Her research has been published in journals including Frontiers in Psychology, PLOS One, Music Perception, Psychomusicology, and Musicae Scientiae, and she has shared her work via international and national conferences. (Click here for a list of publications with PDFs.)
Reymore is a collaborator with the TONE Partnership (Timbre and Orchestration Network), a global community of musicians and scientists working on projects related to musical timbre and orchestration. She founded the Society for Music Theory’s Timbre & Orchestration Interest group and co-chairs TONE’s interdisciplinary Perception and Semantics Working Group.
She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at McGill University and holds a PhD in Music Theory from The Ohio State University as well as degrees in oboe performance from The University of Texas at Austin (MM) and Vanderbilt University (BMus). When not obsessing over timbre, she enjoys trail running, traveling, yoga, rock climbing, and reading sci-fi and fantasy.
Learn more about Dr. Reymore’s research through ASU’s podcast, Lab Coat Optional!
PhD (Ohio State University)
MMus (The University of Texas at Austin)
BMus (Vanderbilt University)
Behavioral Studies
Our work in music cognition, which aims to better understand how people interact with and experience music, often borrows methods from psychology and related disciplines, including experimental studies, surveys, and interviews & content analysis.
Methods
Corpus Studies
Studying musical corpora, or large datasets of music, can give us insight into patterns and trends in order to deepen our knowledge about musical practices. Corpus research often involves developing skills such as coding, statistics, and data visualization.
Music Analysis
We also learn how music works through careful study of individual musical pieces and performances. Such close readings are grounded in music theoretical techniques and acoustical analysis. Such highly-focused engagement with music can inform both theory and performance.