MARL groups scholars from music theory, technology and composition, computer and information science, interactive media and media studies, to explore the intersection between music, computation and science. The objective is to combine techniques and methodologies from the arts, the humanities and the sciences to (a) understand and model human cognitive abilities in music, and (b) innovate the analysis, organization and creation of music.

The initiative aims to provide a forum that increases the visibility and contextualizes the work of NYU faculty, post-doctoral researchers, and doctoral, master and undergraduate students, interested in the intersection of music and science. By providing a space for discovery and discussion, MARL seeks to spark collaborations across departments and schools that have the potential to evolve into inter-disciplinary research, co-supervised student work, joint publications, grant writing, curricular development, event organization and artistic output.