Susan Rogers teaches Music Production and Engineering at The Berklee College of Music (Berklee Online). She holds a doctorate in psychology from McGill University, where she studied music cognition and psychoacoustics. Her research focuses on auditory memory, the perception of musical signals, and the influence of musical training on auditory development.
For two decades before her science career, Rogers was one of the few women known for her work as a record producer, engineer, mixer, and audio electronics technician. Susan’s career highlights include years (1983–1988) as a staff engineer for recording artist Prince, also working with Barenaked Ladies, David Byrne, Tricky, and Tevin Campbell.
My guest relations advisor sent me an NPR interview with Susan in which she talks about her book “This Is What It Sounds Like: What The Music You Love Says About You.” After learning about the book and her career, I invited Susan to the podcast, and she graciously accepted.
My research for this interview involved checking out some of Susan’s other interviews. I noticed she always gets questions about Prince. Leading up to the interview, I figured she’d talked about Prince ad nauseam, but then I realized she loves discussing this part of her career. She feels lucky to have worked with Prince and wants to help keep his legacy alive. Even so, I didn’t want to focus too much on Prince, but I did plan one Prince-question, so we did talk about him.
We also talk about the neuroscience of music preferences, analyzing the techniques of Frank Sinatra, the progression of production approaches, leaving the music business for academia, working with Barenaked Ladies, how music functions for listeners today, and much more.
Learn more about the book “This Is What It Sounds Like,” by Dr Susan Rogers at ThisIsWhatItSoundsLike.com.
Please enjoy my conversation with Susan Rogers.
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Mentions and Related Episodes
What draws us to the music we love? A new book breaks it down (WBUR, Here & Now – interview)
This Is What It Sounds Like by Susan Rogers
Prince Engineer Susan Rogers: THE INTERVIEW. Live From Sunset Sound
Frank: The Voice, by James Kaplan
Stunt, album by Barenaked Ladies
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard
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