Postdoc position in music performance, with specialization in gesture analysis

Luleå University of Technology is in strong growth with world-leading competence in several research areas. We shape the future through innovative education and ground-breaking research results, and based on the Arctic region, we create global social benefit. Our scientific and artistic research and education are conducted in close collaboration with international, national and regional companies, public actors and leading universities. Luleå University of Technology has a total turnover of SEK 2 billion per year. We currently have 1,500 employees and 17,900 students. In the coming years, multi-billion investments will be made in large projects in Northern Sweden to create a fossil-free society both nationally and globally. Luleå University of Technology is involved in several of these cutting-edge research projects and in the societal transformation that they entail. We offer a broad range of courses and study programmes to match the skills in demand. We hope that you will help us to build the sustainable companies and societies of the future.

LTU ARC (Arts-based Research Centre) is a platform for cross-disciplinary research at the intersection of art and science. An overarching ambition in LTU ARC is the creation of formats for cross-disciplinary and artistic co-creation, which also entails inclusive methods for citizen science. The foundation of LTU ARC is two research clusters that explore overlapping thematic areas. These form a framework for a joint research school that introduces new PhD students to exploratory research practices in interaction with senior researchers and artists.

Subject Description
Please follow this link for descriptions of the subjects of music performance, Music Performance

Project Description
GEMM (Gesture, Embodiment and Machines in Music) is a research cluster within LTU ARC which, through a cross-disciplinary approach, unites researchers in musical design, sound technology and stage production. Studio Acusticum and the University Organ constitute infrastructure of national and international importance. GEMM conducts basic research in musical and scenic design through the development of methods for multimodal data collection and analysis. In the study of interaction between users and instruments, the research group seeks new knowledge about composition, interpretation and improvisation, but also about technological mediation and scenic spaces. At the same time, applied research is important, and here the collaboration with professional actors in music and theater is a central factor. GEMM aims to drive development in music and theater life, regionally, nationally and internationally. In direct collaboration with regional actors, new artistic projects, compositions and technological tools are created that explore the role of performing arts in society with a focus on sustainability and inclusion.

Within the framework of LTU ARC, the Piteå Academy of Music at Luleå University of Technology is now looking for a postdoctoral fellow in music performance with specialization in gesture analysis, interactive technologies and/or telematic performance with placement in the research cluster GEMM.

The position is in Piteå at the Department of Music and Dance, which is part of the Department of Social Sciences, Technology and Arts (ETKS). The environment in Piteå offers a diverse and stimulating scientific and artistic educational and research environment. The campus offers spaces that are modern and inspiring, such as the unique concert hall Studio Acusticum, with variable acoustics and one of Europe's largest and most versatile organs, as well as the Black Box, a flexible space for both experimentation and performances, and a number of sound and film studios.

Duties
The working methods of the research cluster are interdisciplinary and build on the combination of qualitative, quantitative and artistic inquiry. Quantitative analysis of movement data is combined with qualitative analysis of video documentation, with the aim of, on the one hand, creating a more robust understanding of how musician’s movement constitutes an integrated component in musical perception, and as data for the creation of new intermedia compositions.  The post-doctoral researcher will carry out the following tasks within the project, in collaboration with the entire research cluster:

• interdisciplinary studies in a field encompassing systematic musicology, computational analysis, qualitative analysis and artistic research.
• responsibility for quantitative analysis of movement data and artistic creation using these data. This may also entail engaging in the creation of interactive systems, also in telematic performance.
• The research outcomes shall be discussed in peer reviewed papers and presented in artistic productions.

 Regular presence at Campus in Piteå is a necessity, but part of the work may also be carried out in studios and laboratories in Stockholm.

Qualifications
The applicant must hold a PhD in music performance, systematic musicology, music computing or equivalent. A doctoral degree awarded no more than three years before the application deadline pro-vides a useful qualification. Candidates who have been awarded a doctoral degree at an earlier date may also be considered if there are special grounds, for example, different types of statutory leave of absence. Further assessment criteria are:  

• Experience of quantitative analysis of musical gesture
• Experience of computational analysis of motion capture and audio data
• Programming skills, also with focus on interactive electronics and intermedia
• Experience of telematic performance technologies
• Strong proficiency in English, both spoken and written
• The researcher should be able to work two weeks per month in campus Piteå.

Further information
The position as post-doctoral researcher is 80% from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2026.

For further information, please contact Professor Stefan Östersjö, +46 761029725, stefan.ostersjo@ltu.se or the Head of Department, Sture Kuusisalo, +46 911-72642, sture.kuusisalo@ltu.se

Union representatives:
SACO-S Joanna Hübinette, 0920-49 3432 joanna.hubinette@ltu.se
OFR-S Lars Frisk, 0920-49 1792 lars.frisk@ltu.se

Application
Your application should include: a cover letter expressing your research interests, a CV, degree diplomas and other relevant documents confirming your qualifications, two recent publications, a list of publications and three references.

Apply for the position via the application button below where you attach your personal letter, your CV and copies of prior degree certificates. Sounding documentation of your artistic activity should be sent preferably in digital form, via a link included in your application documents. Any physical copies that you wish to add to your artistic documentation can be sent to Luleå University of Technology, Registrar’s Office, SE-971 87 Luleå, Sweden. In such cases, the item must be marked with the reference number as shown below. Your application should preferably be written in English, and diplomas should be written in Swedish or English.

Reference number: 4185-2024
Closing date for applications: 15 November, 2024

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