Ethnomusicology • Musical Participation • AI & Co-Authorship

Exploring the Boundaries of Music, Identity, and Machine Agency.
Human Sound Lab is an academic initiative investigating how people construct identity, community, and meaning through musical participation in an era of generative artificial intelligence.
Led by research rooted in the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, the University of Sheffield, and three-time Emmy Award-Winning Producer David Alexander, the lab examines the changing nature of creative authorship, questioning what it means to make music when the line between human performance and algorithmic generation shifts.

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RESEARCH FOCUS AREAS

Human Agency & Participation

How do communities use sound to express identity, transmit culture, and foster belonging? We examine participatory music-making through an ethnomusicological lens, prioritising human connection and lived experience.

Machine Co-Authorship & AI

As artificial intelligence transforms creative tools, how do we understand agency, intent, and ownership? We analyse the dialogue between human artists and algorithmic models, exploring how technology redefines the creative act.

Identity in the Digital Age

How do human musicians adapt, resist, or synthesise generative technologies into their traditional and contemporary practices? Our work traces the socio-cultural impact of AI on artistic identity and cultural expression.