Genelec Inc. has congratulated the recipients of two scholarships awarded for 2023 in association with the Audio Engineering Society Educational Foundation. Emily Kuo is the recipient of the Genelec Dr. Ilpo Martikainen Audio Visionary Scholarship for the second year in a row, and Logan Kibler is the Genelec Mike Chafee Audio Pioneering Scholarship recipient. Genelec says the scholarships underscore its commitment to audio education.
Genelec Dr. Ilpo Martikainen Audio Visionary Scholarship
The Finnish studio monitor manufacturer established the Genelec Dr. Ilpo Martikainen Audio Visionary Scholarship in 2018 in honor of Genelec’s late founder, who, for many years, was involved in the Audio Engineering Society. Kuo is a graduate student at Stanford University’s Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics. Previously, she was a student at the University of Southern California, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering with a minor in Music Production. She remarks, “As part of my graduate studies at Stanford CCRMA, I am interested in specializing in audio signal processing and machine learning. Having gained insights into developing audio technologies during my internships at Apple, I believe that being an expert at the intersection of audio signal processing and audio machine learning will allow me to lead audio technology development in the future.
“CCRMA provides many audio-focused courses that will help me gain the necessary knowledge to pursue my goal. For example, last winter, I took Perceptual Audio Coding, taught by Professor Marina Bosi, where I learned how to develop an audio codec from scratch in Python. Through the class, I learned how to apply signal processing concepts to different components of an audio codec and gained insights into the history and recent developments in the audio codec industry. After taking the class, I continued researching audio coding, where I analyzed and evaluated a wide range of transient detection methods for audio coding purposes.”
She continues, “After graduating from CCRMA, I hope to land a research and development role in the industry, where I can do meaningful work that pushes the boundaries of audio technologies. Outside of work, I aspire to become a mentor to encourage more young women to pursue audio/music technology careers. I am excited to continue exploring the intersection of audio signal processing and machine learning to improve audio technologies for all.”
Genelec Mike Chafee Audio Pioneering Scholarship
Genelec established the Mike Chafee Audio Pioneering Scholarship to promote the advancement of women in the audio industry. It pays tribute to Michael Chafee, a noted long-time Genelec representative, audiophile, sound designer, acoustician, audio evangelist and supporter of women in audio. The scholarship is offered annually to U.S. female graduate students in the field of audio engineering who are members of the Audio Engineering Society. The scholarship’s recipient, Kibler, is also a Stanford CCRMA student beginning this autumn. She studied undergrad at the University of Michigan, earning a BSE in Computer Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Sound Engineering. She graduated with high honors from the School of Music and magna cum laude from the College of Engineering.
During her studies, Kibler held several positions on the board of the U.M. student chapter of the AES, including chair for a year and a half. In the summer of 2020, she was a student assistant for the Girls in Music and Technology high school summer camp put on at U.M. During the following summers, she interned with Dolby Laboratories as the AES intern, working on the professional audio encoder and with Subaru R&D as the sound engineering intern researching new methods of sound and system design for vehicles. She recently wrapped an audio system design professional internship with Disney Live Entertainment, where she learned about designing systems for new theme park offerings ranging from small one-off events to permanent installs in park expansions. She continues to write and record songs as part of the duo Madelyn & Logan, which she has done since 7th grade and credits as the foundation of her love of music and audio technologies.
Concerning her future plans, she notes, “As a woman in technology, it is sadly unsurprising that I am often the lone representative of my social identity in any room. Women in computer engineering are few and far between, and women in audio engineering and music production are even rarer. As I started to develop audio software skills through an independent study course in the C++ Juce Framework for plugins, I spent significant time thinking about how I might make my product more approachable for women. I wondered how interface design and feedback might influence a woman’s interest in learning and excitement about the tool, as well as what new musical capabilities the tool might bring to a user. The final product was an intuitive plugin to abstract the work required for creating a modern-sounding popular music vocal. To make the plugin more approachable and fun, I designed the interface to look like a makeup palette. I named the plugin Pop Princess and established it under a name I would love to use for a company someday: She Produces Plugins.”
“There is so much to learn about ways to onboard more women into the audio technology industry,” Kibler continues, “and I would love to research how re-imagining plugin GUIs and input controls can influence the demographics of producer identities. In addition, I would like to research how machine learning and artificial intelligence can help simplify translating a musician or producer’s musical idea into the computer to make producing more approachable to all. The Master of Arts in Music, Science, and Technology at Stanford through CCRMA provides the framework for exploring the ties between music and technology with the support of a top-level research university and a culture of founders and leaders. With Stanford’s cross-disciplinary, innovator-minded student body and faculty, I have no doubt that my music technology accessibility and emerging technology integration research will be supported and successful.”