From Soundboards to Science: Susan Rogers's Journey from Prince's Engineer to Neuroscience

March 14, 2024

The Harmonies of Science and Music: Susan Rogers's Shift from Audio Engineering to Auditory Neuroscience

Imagine transitioning from the electric buzz of the music industry, working with icons like Prince, to the meticulous world of neuroscience. Susan Rogers exemplifies this extraordinary journey, her life beautifully weaving together chords and cognition. With her roots as a revolutionary audio engineer, Rogers's pivot to studying auditory memory and music perception is not just a career shift; it's a harmonious blend of science and sound. Her work illuminates how our brains engage with music, offering insights into auditory memory that resonate beyond the lab. Rogers's narrative is a testament to the boundless possibilities that emerge when we tune into our passions and dare to listen deeply.

Read the full story here: The neuroscientist formerly known as Prince’s audio engineer

Highlights

• Susan Rogers's unique career journey bridges the gap between music production and neuroscience, showcasing her transformative life story.
• Her work in both fields emphasizes the profound impact of auditory experiences on memory and cognition.
• Rogers's transition highlights the importance of lifelong learning and adapting to new career paths.
• Her research contributes to a better understanding of how both musicians and non-musicians perceive and relate to music.
• Daniel Levitin, Rogers's supervisor, underscores her exceptional listening skills as critical to her success in auditory neuroscience.
• Despite starting in a vastly different field, Rogers demonstrates that skills learned in one area can greatly impact and inform success in another.

Susan Rogers’s early career as a pioneering female audio engineer for musicians like Prince laid a unique foundation for her later pursuit in neuroscience. Her work with Prince not only established her as a distinguished figure in the music industry, but it also deeply influenced her understanding of sound, shaping her interest in the scientific study of auditory memory and music perception. Transitioning from the vibrant world of music to the intricate field of neuroscience reflects her profound appreciation for auditory experiences and their cognitive implications.

Rogers obtained her PhD in neuroscience, focusing on how humans remember and perceive music, at the age of 52. Her research bridges her extensive experience in music production with scientific inquiry, aiming to elucidate the neural basis of auditory memory. Working alongside renowned cognitive psychologists and neuroscientists, she has contributed significantly to our understanding of music cognition. Rogers's work emphasizes the lasting effects of music on memory and the universal nature of musical experience across different listener groups.

Currently, as a faculty member at Berklee College of Music, Rogers is developing educational content that integrates music production, engineering, and neuroscience, advocating for a holistic understanding of music's impact on the brain. Her efforts to combine her rich background in music with her academic pursuits exemplify the interdisciplinary approach needed to unravel the complexities of auditory perception. Rogers’s journey from the recording studios with Prince to neuroscience classrooms underscores a life dedicated to exploring the confluence of art and science, demonstrating that passion and curiosity can drive a successful career across diverse fields.

Read the full article here.

Essential Insights

• Susan Rogers: A former audio engineer for Prince who transitioned into neuroscience, focusing on auditory memory and music cognition.
• Prince: An iconic musician with whom Susan Rogers worked closely in the early stages of her career.
• Daniel Levitin: A cognitive psychologist, musician, and Rogers's PhD supervisor, known for his work in music perception.
• Berklee College of Music: An institution where Susan Rogers teaches music production and engineering and is developing a course on music and neuroscience.
• McGill University: The university where Susan Rogers completed her doctoral work on auditory memory.