Youngmoo Kim

Assistant Professor

Youngmoo Kim joined the faculty of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Drexel University in 2005. He received his Ph.D. from the MIT Media Lab in 2003 and also holds Master's degrees in Electrical Engineering and Music (Vocal Performance Practice) from Stanford University as well as a B.S. in Engineering and a B.A. in Music from Swarthmore College.

While at MIT, Dr. Kim was an active member of the MPEG standards committee, contributing to the MPEG-4 and MPEG-7 audio standards. He also has extensive experience in music performance, most recently as a member of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, the chorus of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Research Focus

Dr. Kim's research focuses on digital media technologies that will shape the future of entertainment, especially in the areas of sound and music. He is director of the Music and Entertainment Technology Laboratory (MET-lab), which focuses on research in machine listening & music information retrieval, music production technology, and new music interfaces. Dr. Kim initiated the Summer Music Technology program at Drexel, a one-week program for high school students, and is heavily involved with several other K-12 education initiatives.p>

Dr. Kim was recently granted an NSF CAREER Award for a project entitled “Exploring Creative Expression through Music and Audio Technology.” Though recent digital audio technologies have had a tremendous impact on the world of recorded music, its fundamental nature remains unchanged: once a recording is made, that single performance is forever fixed, preventing any true interaction with the listener. Dr. Kim's project integrates research in digital audio technology with educational activities under a common vision of transforming the passive act of listening to "recorded" music into an interactive experience in which the performance responds to the creative input of the listener. The grant is for a 5-year project with a budget of $500K.

Q & A

The following interview provides some insight into some of the insights and perspectives of Drexel University ECE faculty.

Q: What is the one main message you would share with a prospective student about Drexel ECE?

Kim: Drexel ECE is a dynamic and vibrant department that continues to evolve by offering innovative and unique opportunities for pursuing a career in engineering.

Q: What resources does Drexel ECE offer you that support your efforts as a faculty member?

Kim: My work crosses the traditional boundaries between Engineering and Music, and I feel very fortunate that Drexel ECE offered me the opportunity to pursue my specific research interests bridging these disciplines. Technology is constantly changing, but we always strive to integrate the latest innovations into our work. The research facilities of my lab and all of the labs in Drexel ECE reflect these high standards.

Q: What brought you to Drexel?

Kim: The Drexel ECE Department and its faculty are renowned as world-class leaders in many fields of Electrical and Computer Engineering. I was drawn here by the opportunity of joining their ranks as well as the challenge of starting a new interdisciplinary research lab. I believe that I have the best job in the world!

Q: Are there any current projects you are working on that you are particularly interested in?

Kim: I am, of course, very interested in all of my research projects! Some of our recent work on automatically identifying similar sounding songs was highlighted in a front-page article in the Philadelphia Inquirer that was syndicated nationwide. As part of my work in this field, I am co-chair of the Ninth International Conference on Music Information Retrieval (http://ismir2008.ismir.net), which will be held September 14-18, 2008 at Drexel. We look forward to welcoming researchers from around the world to what is sure to be an exciting and informative conference.