I am Brendan O'Connor. I am a PhD candidate at the Centre for Digital Music (C4DM), in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department (EECS), at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). My research is focused on singing attribute conversion with neural networks.
My research at C4DM has allowed me to work intimately in the field of Machine Learning and Audio. While working here I have covered topics such as:
- Languages: python, linux, git, php, xml
- Libraries: pytorch, numpy, pandas, scikit-learn
- Data Management: Collection, Mining, Preprocessing
- Algorithms: Uninformed/Informed Search, Genetic, Neural Networks
- Neural Networks: CNNs, RNNs, Autoencoders, VAEs, GANs, Vocoders, Transformers, Diffusers
- Other Predictive Algorithms: Linear and Logistic Regression, SVMs, Decision Trees, Clustering
- Task Types: Discriminative and Generative Tasks, Supervised and Unsupervised Learning Techniques
- PhD Projects: Voice Identification, Style Classification, Attribute Disentablement, Attribute Conversion, Audio Synthesis
- Other Projects: Beat-tracking, Melodic Estimation, Audio Fingerprinting, Singing Voice Detection, Spoken Conversation Analysis
- Experiment Design: User Interface, Listening Studies, Evaluation Strategies, Statistical Analysis
While working at C4DM, I have had the pleasure of working as a teaching assistant for a number of undergraduate and postgraduate courses such as:
- Principles of Machine Learning
- Artificial Intelligence
- Python Programming
- Creating Interactive Objects
- Digital Audio
- Professional Research Practice
CV available here
Before pursuing my PhD in the field of machine learning, I was previously immersed in all things related to music. I have been a teacher of many musical disciplines, a composer/orchestrator/producer, a conductor, a programmer of MAX/MSP and PureData, and a performer of many genres. My Bachelor's Degree was in classical music performance at the MTU Cork School of Music, Ireland, while my Master's Degree was in music technology and composition at the University of West London. After earning my MMus, I taught classical guitar, music theory and music production, and built sound-art installations for exhibitions across London and internationally. In 2018, I secured a studentship with the Media & Arts Technology CDT at Queen Mary University and conducted research in singing voice attribute conversion using machine learning frameworks at the Centre for Digital Music under the guidance of Simon Dixon.