Visiting Professor in the department from July 2015-July 2016
Michael Shutz is known for his innovative blend of performance, teaching and research. He is currently Assistant Professor of Music Cognition/Percussion at McMaster University. He is the founding director of the MAPLE Lab – researching Music, Acoustics, Perception and LEarning (www.maplelab.net), and a core member of the McMaster Institute for Music and the Mind. His research is supported by grants from Canadian agencies such as NSERC and Ontario’s Early Researcher Award, as well as international agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the American Academy of Audiology. Previously, Michael served as Director of Percussion Studies at Longwood University in Virginia, where he performed regularly with the Roanoke Symphony and Opera on the James. Michael’s interdisciplinary training includes bachelor’s degrees in both Computer Science (BS) and Music Performance (BMA) from Penn State University as well as a MM in Music Performance and Music Technology from Northwestern, where he studied with marimba virtuoso Michael Burritt. Michael also earned a MA and PhD in Experimental Psychology from the University of Virginia under the tutelage of Michael Kubovy.