Associate Professor Andrew Milne

DAP - Music,
Music & MCMT

Associate Professor in Music Cognition and Computation,
Dean's Unit, School of Humanities & Comm Arts

Biography
Contact
Publications
Projects
Supervision
Teaching
Media

Biography

I am Associate Professor in Music Cognition and Computation, and former DECRA fellow, working at the interface of music, cognitive science, and computing, and their implications for creativity, education, and well-being. I have published more than 45 peer-reviewed articles, conference proceedings, and book chapters. My recent research has included cross-cultural music cognition (including on-site field experiments in a remote Papua New Guinean community), the cognition of familiar and unfamiliar (microtonal) harmony, cognitive mechanisms and mathematical models related to the perception, performance, and algorithmic generation of complex rhythms, the perception of timbral change, and developing new musical interfaces in public art, therapeutic, and educational settings. I develop several free music software applications, which allow smooth control of the relationships between the spectra of tones in a scale or chord, and the Music Perception Toolbox for extracting several psychoacoustic and structural features from symbolic and audio musical data.

This information has been contributed by Associate Professor Milne.

Qualifications

PhD The Open University
MA University of Jyvaskyla

Professional Memberships

ESCOM (European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of of Music) (2019)
SEMPRE (Society for Education, Music and Psychology Research) (2024 - 2024)
SMCM ( Society for Mathematics and Computation in Music) (2024)

Awards

ARC DECRA (DE170100353) 2017-02-01
Department of Family and Community Services - 20211.58442 2018-06-01
ARC Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language - 20211.51582 2020-09-01

Interests

Musical Interfaces
Cognitive Science
Computational Modelling
Music Composition
Music and Emotion

Organisational Unit (School / Division)

Music & MCMT
Dean's Unit, School of Humanities & Comm Arts

Committees

MARCS Institute Research Committee

Contact

Email:	A.Milne@westernsydney.edu.au
Phone:	(02) 9772 6151
Mobile:	0424717851
Location:	U.6.14 Westmead

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Teaching

Current Teaching Areas

PERF1014 Music Production

Previous Teaching Areas

100980 Psychology Honours Thesis, 2016
100980 Psychology Honours Thesis, 2017
100980 Psychology Honours Thesis, 2018
101541 Advanced Topics in Psychology, 2018
101541 Advanced Topics in Psychology, 2019
101680 Perception, 2016
101680 Perception, 2017
101680 Perception, 2018
101680 Perception, 2019
102561 Digital Musicianship, 2018
102758 Interactive Electronic Media and Performance, 2020
102758 Interactive Electronic Media and Performance, 2021
102761 Electronic Music Production, 2020
102761 Electronic Music Production, 2021
102783 Perception (online), 2020
300579 Professional Experience, 2020
800168 Research Fields, 2016
800173 Cognitive Science: Research and Application, 2015
800173 Cognitive Science: Research and Application, 2016
800173 Cognitive Science: Research and Application, 2017
800173 Cognitive Science: Research and Application, 2018
800193 Master of Research Thesis Examination, 2016
PERF1014 Music Production, 2022
PERF1014 Music Production, 2023
PERF2029 Music Project 1: Multimedia, 2022
PERF2029 Music Project 1: Multimedia, 2023
PERF2030 Musicology as a Professional Practice, 2023
PERF3028 Music Project 2: Creative Performance, 2023

Publications

Chapters in Books

Milne, A. and Olsen, K. (2021), 'Pitch, timbre, and rhythm', The Science and Psychology of Music, ABC-CLIO 9781440857713.
Hilton, C., Calilhanna, A. and Milne, A. (2019), 'Visualizing and sonifying mathematical music theory with software applications : implications of computer-based models for practice and education', Theoretical and Practical Pedagogy of Mathematical Music Theory: Music for Mathematics and Mathematics for Music, Form School to Postgraduate Levels, World Scientific 9789813228344.
Milne, A. (2019), 'XronoMorph : investigating paths through rhythmic space', New Directions in Music and Human-Computer Interaction, Springer 9783319920689.
Milne, A. (2018), 'Linking sonic aesthetics with mathematical theories', The Oxford Handbook of Algorithmic Music, Oxford University Press 9780190226992.

Journal Articles

Barry, R., Steiner, G., Milne, A., Cave, A., De Blasio, F. and MacDonald, B. (2024), 'Electrodermal and central measures of the tonic orienting reflex (OR)', International Journal of Psychophysiology, vol 199 .
Taylor, J., Milne, A. and MacRitchie, J. (2023), 'New musical interfaces for older adults in residential care : assessing a user-centred design approach', Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, vol 18, no 5 , pp 519 - 531.
Milne, A., Dean, R. and Bulger, D. (2023), 'The effects of rhythmic structure on tapping accuracy', Attention, Perception and Psychophysics, vol 85, no 8 , pp 2673 - 2699.
Milne, A., Smit, E., Sarvasy, H. and Dean, R. (2023), 'Evidence for a universal association of auditory roughness with musical stability', PLoS One, vol 18, no 9 .
Smit, E., Milne, A., Dean, R. and Weidemann, G. (2022), 'Making the unfamiliar familiar : the effect of exposure on ratings of unfamiliar musical chords', Musicae Scientiae, vol 26, no 2 , pp 339 - 363.
Smit, E., Milne, A., Dean, R. and Weidemann, G. (2022), 'Evaluative conditioning of responses to unfamiliar chords by exposure to valenced images', Psychology of Music, vol 50, no 2 , pp 579 - 595.
Smit, E., Milne, A. and Escudero, P. (2022), 'Music perception abilities and ambiguous word learning : is there cross-domain transfer in nonmusicians?', Frontiers in Psychology, vol 13 .
Macritchie, J., Breaden, M., Taylor, J. and Milne, A. (2022), 'Exploring older adult needs and preferences for technology-assisted group music-making. A qualitative analysis of data collected during the participatory user-centred design process', Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, .
Chmiel, A., Milne, A., Dean, R. and Schubert, E. (2022), '[In Press] Increasing music preference through guided self-framing : a comparison of historical and imaginative approaches', Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, .
Short, A., Cheung, G., Smit, E. and Milne, A. (2022), 'Audio analysis reveals mutual associations between clients' and therapists' vocal timbres in guided imagery and music sessions', The Arts in Psychotherapy, vol 80 .
Smit, E., Milne, A., Sarvasy, H. and Dean, R. (2022), 'Emotional responses in Papua New Guinea show negligible evidence for a universal effect of major versus minor music', PLoS One, vol 17, no 6 .
Bulger, D., Milne, A. and Dean, R. (2022), 'A point-process model of tapping along to difficult rhythms', Journal of Mathematical Psychology, vol 111 .
Smit, E. and Milne, A. (2021), 'The need for composite models of music perception : consonance in tuning systems (familiar or unfamiliar) cannot be explained by a single predictor', Music Perception, vol 38, no 3 , pp 335 - 336.
Dean, R., Bulger, D. and Milne, A. (2021), 'On the roles of complexity and symmetry in cued tapping of well-formed complex rhythms : descriptive statistics and time series analysis', Music Perception, vol 39, no 2 , pp 202 - 225.
MacRitchie, J., Breaden, M., Milne, A. and McIntyre, S. (2020), 'Cognitive, motor and social factors of music instrument training programs for older adults' improved wellbeing', Frontiers in Psychology, vol 10 .
Smit, E., Dobrowohl, F., Schaal, N., Milne, A. and Herff, S. (2020), 'Perceived emotions of harmonic cadences', Music and Science, vol 3 , pp 1 - 13.
Milne, A. and Herff, S. (2020), 'The perceptual relevance of balance, evenness, and entropy in musical rhythms', Cognition, vol 203 .
Herff, S., Herff, C., Milne, A., Johnson, G., Shih, J. and Krusienski, D. (2020), 'Prefrontal high gamma in ECoG tags periodicity of musical rhythms in perception and imagination', eNeuro, vol 7, no 4 , pp 1 - 11.
Dobrowohl, F., Milne, A. and Dean, R. (2019), 'Timbre preferences in the context of mixing music', Applied Sciences, vol 9, no 8 .
Dean, R., Milne, A. and Bailes, F. (2019), 'Spectral pitch similarity is a predictor of perceived change in sound- as well as note-based music', Music and Science, vol 2 , pp 1 - 14.
Dobrowohl, F., Milne, A. and Dean, R. (2019), 'Controlling perception thresholds for changing timbres in continuous sounds', Organised Sound, vol 24, no Special Issue 1 , pp 71 - 84.
Smit, E., Milne, A., Dean, R. and Weidemann, G. (2019), 'Perception of affect in unfamiliar musical chords', PLoS One, vol 14, no 6 .
Taylor, J. and Milne, A. (2019), 'The Rhythmotron', Leonardo Music Journal, vol 29 , pp 67 - 72.
Stanford, S., Milne, A. and MacRitchie, J. (2018), 'The effect of isomorphic pitch layouts on the transfer of musical learning', Applied Sciences, vol 8, no 12 .
MacRitchie, J. and Milne, A. (2017), 'Exploring the effects of pitch layout on learning a new musical instrument', Applied Sciences, vol 7, no 12 .
Milne, A., Bulger, D. and Herff, S. (2017), 'Exploring the space of perfectly balanced rhythms and scales', Journal of Mathematics and Music, vol 11, no 2-3 , pp 101 - 133.
Milne, A. and Dean, R. (2016), 'Computational creation and morphing of multi-level rhythms by control of evenness', Computer Music Journal, vol 40, no 1 , pp 35 - 53.
Milne, A., Laney, R. and Sharp, D. (2016), 'Testing a spectral model of tonal affinity with microtonal melodies and inharmonic spectra', Musicae Scientiae, vol 20, no 4 , pp 465 - 494.
Milne, A. and Holland, S. (2016), 'Empirically testing Tonnetz, voice-leading, and spectral models of perceived triadic distance', Journal of Mathematics and Music, vol 10, no 1 , pp 59 - 85.
Milne, A., Laney, R. and Sharp, D. (2015), 'A spectral pitch class model of the probe tone data and scalic tonality', Music Perception, vol 32, no 4 , pp 364 - 393.
Prechtl, A., Milne, A., Holland, S., Laney, R. and Sharp, D. (2012), 'A MIDI sequencer that widens access to the compositional possibilities of novel tunings', Computer Music Journal, vol 36, no 1 , pp 42 - 54.
Milne, A., Sethares, W., Laney, R. and Sharp, D. (2011), 'Modelling the similarity of pitch collections with expectation tensors', Journal of Mathematics and Music, vol 5, no 1 , pp 1 - 20.
Sethares, W., Milne, A., Tiedje, S., Prechtl, A. and Plamondon, J. (2009), 'Spectral tools for dynamic tonality and audio morphing', Computer Music Journal, vol 33, no 2 , pp 71 - 84.
Milne, A., Sethares, W. and Plamondon, J. (2008), 'Tuning continua and keyboard layouts', Journal of Mathematics and Music, vol 2, no 1 , pp 1 - 19.
Milne, A., Sethares, W. and Plamondon, J. (2007), 'Isomorphic controllers and dynamic tuning : invariant fingering over a tuning continuum', Computer Music Journal, vol 31, no 4 , pp 15 - 32.

Conference Papers

Milne, A. and Calilhanna, A. (2019), 'Teaching music with mathematics : a pilot study', International Conference on Mathematics and Computation in Music, Madrid, Spain.
Hearne, G., Milne, A. and Dean, R. (2019), 'Distributional analysis of n-dimensional feature space for 7-note scales in 22-TET', International Conference on Mathematics and Computation in Music, Madrid, Spain.
Hamilton, T., Doai, J., Milne, A., Saisanas, V., Calilhanna, A., Hilton, C., Goldwater, M. and Cohn, R. (2018), 'Teaching mathematics with music : a pilot study', IEEE International Conference on Teaching, Assessment and Learning for Engineering, Wollongong, N.S.W..
MacRitchie, J. and Milne, A. (2017), 'Evaluation of the learnability and playability of pitch layouts in new musical instruments', Sound and Music Computing Conference, Espoo, Finland.
Herff, S., Johnson, G., Milne, A., Herff, C., Shih, J. and Krusienski, D. (2017), 'Signal characterization for a musical rhythm BCI', IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference, Jeju Island, Korea.
Milne, A., Herff, S., Bulger, D., Sethares, W. and Dean, R. (2016), 'XronoMorph : algorithmic generation of perfectly balanced and well-formed rhythms', International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression, Brisbane, Qld..
Milne, A., Bulger, D., Herff, S. and Sethares, W. (2015), 'Perfect balance : a novel principle for the construction of musical scales and meters', MCM, London, UK.
Milne, A., Carle, M., Sethares, W., Noll, T. and Holland, S. (2011), 'Scratching the scale labyrinth', International Conference on Mathematics and Computation in Music, Paris, France.
Milne, A., Xambo, A., Laney, R., Sharp, D., Prechtl, A. and Holland, S. (2011), 'Hex player : a virtual musical controller', International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression, Oslo, Norway.
Milne, A. (2010), 'Tonal music theory : a psychoacoustic explanation?', International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition, University of Washington.
Milne, A., Sethares, W., Laney, R. and Sharp, D. (2010), 'Metrics for pitch collections', International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition, University of Washington.

Exhibitions

2017, 'Rhythmotron'

Other Publications

2018, 'Resonances', Recorded Work
2017, 'Primitive Minimals; My Only Friend', Recorded Work
2016, 'Babylon 19|30', Recorded Work
2016, 'Babylon 19|30', Recorded Work
2014, 'Red-backed Fairy-wren', Recorded Work
2014, 'Serial Meantimes', Recorded Work
2006, 'X_System', Report

My research interests are in the fields of music computing, music perception and cognition, and mathematical modelling. I aim to synthesize knowledge in these areas to create predictive and generative models of musical communication.

I am particularly interested in models that embody perceptual and cognitive universals that exist prior to, or independently of, musical exposure. Such models have the capacity to explain how music can communicate across personal and cultural differences, and to generate new forms of music (e.g., microtonal, spectral, ametrical) grounded in those universals.

I provide resources of music perception models at www.dynamictonality.com/portfolio and creative musical applications at www.dynamictonality.com. Music I have composed and performed – both with and without these applications – is available at soundcloud.com/andrew-j-milne.