Podcast, Art Meets Tech, Media
Yao Pei
The Algorithms in Your Ears: Looking Into the ...

In this episode of the Arts Management and Technology Lab, Samantha Childers explores why so many songs recommended by streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music sound strikingly similar. She breaks down the inner workings of music streaming algorithms—how metadata, collaborative filtering, content-based filtering, and continuous feedback loops collectively shape the “perfect playlist.” Childers also examines Spotify features such as Discover Weekly and Discovery Mode, uncovering how these tools influence music discovery, artist visibility, and even compositional trends as musicians increasingly write with algorithms in mind. Alongside these technical insights, she raises critical ethical questions about data privacy, algorithmic bias, pay-to-play practices, and the shrinking role of human curation. Ultimately, the episode invites listeners to rethink how algorithm-driven platforms shape not only what we hear but also how we discover, value, and experience music.

The Algorithms in Your Ears: Looking Into the making of your music feeds
Podcast, Digital Futures, Art Meets Tech
Yao Pei
Ludus: a Ticket Selling Platform Changing the ...

In this episode of the Arts Management and Technology Lab, Andrew Wolverton and Zachary Collins explore how arts-focused technology can transform nonprofit ticketing and operations, tracing Ludus’s journey from a side project for a single high school musical to a nationwide platform serving more than 4,000 organizations. Collins explains how Ludus was built from the ground up around the real needs of drama teachers and community theaters, growing into an end-to-end system for ticketing, fundraising, marketing, volunteers, and concessions—while staying anchored in a people-first culture summed up by the company’s core value, “Give a Shit.” He reflects on navigating the COVID-19 shutdown through livestreaming and social-distancing tools, choosing the right growth equity partner, and why he believes AI shouldn’t replace arts workers but instead act as a “superpower” that frees them to focus on human-centered work and shared live experiences.

Ludus: a Ticket Selling Platform Changing the Game
Podcast, Entertainment, Digital Futures, Artificial Intelligence
Yao Pei
Michael Cioni on Ingenuity and the Future of ...

In this episode of the Arts Management and Technology Lab, Alexann Sharp and Cara Flannery sit down with four-time Emmy-winning innovator Michael Cioni to unpack how technology and creativity converge in modern media workflows. Cioni introduces Strada, a peer-to-peer platform designed to enable remote collaboration without cloud storage, and shares career lessons on building networks through industry events (NAB, Cine Gear, IBC) and assembling complementary teams (“Swiss-cheese” collaboration). He distinguishes generative vs. utilitarian AI, predicts a shakeout and rebound for GenAI, and outlines his Skills Gap Principle and “Technative” mindset for balancing creative and technical strengths. The conversation closes with candid advice on taking smarter risks and betting on yourself.

Michael Cioni on Ingenuity and the Future of Entertainment
Podcast, Art Meets Tech, Digital Futures, Creative Coding
Yao Pei
The Art of Language: Daniel Temkin Reveals The ...

In this episode of the Arts Management and Technology Lab, Daniel Temkin and Luna Lu discussed the artistic possibilities of code, focusing on esoteric programming languages (esolangs) and how they can function as a medium for art and human expression. Temkin explained that his interest began with experimenting in existing esolangs (like Brainfuck) around 2007-2008, leading him to create his own and document them conceptually, moving away from overly technical documentation. The conversation highlighted how giving up on the idea that programming must be practical allows for artistic exploration, connecting esolangs to idea art, constraint-based work (such as the Oulipo Group), and performance art. Temkin detailed the structure of his book, which presents programming languages as idea-based art, containing both realized works and conceptual prompts inspired by artists like Yoko Ono, and described how his languages — such as Fat Finger, which inspired code poetry, and Folders, which manipulates file system hierarchy — explore themes of collaboration, human irrationality, and the extreme constraints of logical systems. Listeners were also encouraged to explore existing esolangs on the Esolang Wiki before trying to design their own.

The Art of Language: Daniel Temkin Reveals The Inner Workings of Esolangs
Podcast, Artificial Intelligence, Society, Media, Public Policy
Yao Pei
Politics and Portrayal: The Impact of AI and ...

In this episode of the Arts Management and Technology Lab, Melida Hernandez and Christine Rivera dive into the intersections of technology, identity, and representation in digital spaces and media. Melida explores how AI-based recognition systems, often trained on biased datasets, misclassify transgender and non-binary individuals, which impacts their self-presentation, psychological well-being, and digital agency. Melida also discusses how these technologies replicate real-world prejudices, limiting the fluidity of gender expression online, and highlights the lack of diversity in AI research teams, where women make up only 10–15% of staff. Christine’s research, on the other hand, focuses on how scripted and streaming television depicts motherhood and women’s reproductive choices, connecting these portrayals to broader issues such as policy, workplace inequality, and the “motherhood penalty.” Together, they unpack how media archetypes, algorithmic bias, and social platforms shape public perception and reinforce gender roles, calling for more inclusive storytelling, equitable AI design, and better systemic support for women and marginalized communities.

Politics and Portrayal: The Impact of AI and Our Lives
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COP28 Takeaways for Cultural Institutions — A Conversation with Jennifer Torrance

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COP28 Takeaways for Cultural Institutions — A Conversation with Jennifer Torrance

In the second episode of AMT Lab’s Art + Climate podcast series, the conversation continues with Jennifer Torrance, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens’ Youth Climate Advocacy Committee (YCAC) Coordinator. 

In this episode, she talks about her experience attending the recent United Nations Climate Conference, or COP28, with YCAC leader and University of Pittsburgh senior, Anna Bagwell. Though attending a COP conference may be “like trying to drink from a firehose,” Torrance unpacks what a day might look like - from meeting with your observer constituency group and sitting in on negotiations, to networking and other sessions.

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Youth Climate Engagement with Phipps Conservatory’s Jennifer Torrance: Part One

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Youth Climate Engagement with Phipps Conservatory’s Jennifer Torrance: Part One

Kicking off AMT Lab’s Art + Climate series,  Lead Researcher Hannah Brainard talks with Jennifer Torrance, a science educator and the Youth Climate Advocacy Committee (YCAC) Coordinator at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. YCAC creates a space for Pittsburgh’s young people to take action on issues that they care about. In this unique program, students take on a variety of projects that unite their skills and interest in the climate movement. Recent projects include a water bottle photojournalism project, to developing curriculum for elementary students, and even an eco-fashion show. 

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The Art && Code Series - Wrap Up Show: Behind the Scenes

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The Art && Code Series - Wrap Up Show: Behind the Scenes

Get a behind the scenes look at the Art && Code podcast series. In this wrap-up episode, AMT Lab’s Podcast Producer Jabrenee Hussie, Social Media and Marketing Coordinator Ashley Offman, and Lead Researcher Hannah Brainard discuss key takeaways from the series. They look back at some of their favorite interview moments, from ethics of artificial intelligence as an artistic tool to the social scene of live-coding. 

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Revisiting Real-Time Video Mixing with VJ David Lublin

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Revisiting Real-Time Video Mixing with VJ David Lublin

As a wrap-up to our series, we are revisiting the episode that began the kickoff of the Art&&Code conference! In this re-release, AMT Lab’s Lead Researcher, Hannah Brainard, talks with David Lublin, a video artist, programmer, and performer about the field of video instrumentalism, or ‘VJing,’ and how Lublin’s unique background as a mathematician and artist helped carve a path for his career. This podcast was made in partnership with the Frank Ratchye Studio for Creative Inquiry.

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Open-Source Software for Live-Coding Visuals with Hydra’s Olivia Jack

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Open-Source Software for Live-Coding Visuals with Hydra’s Olivia Jack

Olivia Jack is a programmer and artist who works frequently with open-source software, cartography, live coding, and experimental interfaces. In this episode of the Art && Code Podcast series, Jack talks with AMT Lab Lead Researcher Hannah Brainard about Hydra, a browser-based open source software she developed for live-coding visuals. This podcast was made in partnership with the Frank Ratchye Studio for Creative Inquiry.

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Live-Coding, Performance, and Computational Art with Char Stiles

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Live-Coding, Performance, and Computational Art with Char Stiles

In the third episode of the Art&&Code podcast series AMT Lead Researcher, Hannah Brainard, talks with Char Stiles, a computational artist, educator and programmer based in Brooklyn, NY. Stiles works creatively in the lower levels of graphical computational systems and is currently at the MIT Media Lab’s Future Sketches group.

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Meet 2/3 of Codie: A Live-Coding Trio Making Music and Visuals

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Meet 2/3 of Codie: A Live-Coding Trio Making Music and Visuals

For the second episode of AMT Lab’s Art && Code series, Social Media and Marketing Coordinator Ashley Offman talks with Sarah Groff Hennigh-Palermo and Dr. Kate Sicchio, two-thirds of the live coding trio known as Codie. Sarah and Kate discuss how their prior experiences in academia and at tech giants influence the art they create. They also talk of their interdisciplinary approaches to performance, including the integration of coding in live performance, as well as the nuances and differences that exist in the live coding and DIY sound scenes worldwide. This podcast was made in partnership with the Frank Ratchye Studio for Creative Inquiry.

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Meet the Creators of SudoMagic: Zoe Sandoval & Matthew Ragan

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Meet the Creators of SudoMagic: Zoe Sandoval & Matthew Ragan

For our very first episode of the Art&&Code podcast series AMT Lead Researcher, Hannah Brainard, talks with Zoey Sandoval and Matthew Ragan, the creators of SudoMagic, a design and software development studio, which focuses on immersive experiences. While artificial intelligence and machine learning have been tools in their artistic practice, Sandvol and Ragan offer predictions and ethical concerns around how these models may be trained and implemented in the future. This podcast was made in partnership with the Frank Ratchye Studio for Creative Inquiry.

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Software for Real-Time Video Mixing with David Lublin

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Software for Real-Time Video Mixing with David Lublin

AMT Lab’s Lead Researcher, Hannah Brainard, talks with David Lublin, a video artist, programmer, and performer about the field of video instrumentalism, or ‘VJing,’ and how Lublin’s unique background as a mathematician and artist helped carve a path for his career. This podcast was made in partnership with the Frank Ratchye Studio for Creative Inquiry.

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Experiential Marketing and Immersive User Experience with Garrett Brooks

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Experiential Marketing and Immersive User Experience with Garrett Brooks

AMT Lab Chief Editor, Samantha Sonnet, and Garrett Brooks, Creative Director of MAS, discuss all things experiential marketing. With over 10 years in experiential marketing, Garrett has been a part of projects for clients such as YouTube, Google, Facebook, Hulu, Netflix, LinkedIn, Bacardi and Pepsi and has activated executions at cultural touch points like the Super Bowl, CES, and SXSW.