Dr. Nat Condit Schultz

Biography

Nat Condit-Schultz is a musician, composer, and scientist specializing in statistical modeling of musical structure. At the Georgia Institute of Technology, he conducts research, advises students in the Computational Cognitive Musicology Lab, serves as Director of Graduate Programs in the School of Music, leads rock and pop bands, and teaches courses in research methodology, music psychology, and music production. He completed his doctorate under the renowned music scientist David Huron. His research interests are diverse, encompassing rhythm, tonality in popular music, and the perceptual and structural roles of language and lyrics in music, alongside the music theory of hip-hop. Nat has presented at numerous national and international conferences, contributing to the fields of humanities and sciences, including the Society for Music Theory and the Society for Music Perception and Cognition, as well as the International Conference on Music Information Retrieval. As a performer and composer, Nat specializes in electric and classical guitar, bringing unique elements into his work, such as imitative counterpoint and complex rhythmic and metric ideas, including polyrhythms and 'tempo spirals.' He has realized these concepts in both classical guitar contexts and rock instrumentation, as well as utilizing elements from Indonesian Gamelan music.

Research Interests