UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — For some, identifying a musical note by ear alone is nearly impossible, but for those with the ability to instantly recognize or produce a note without any reference tone, also known as absolute pitch, it comes naturally.
Absolute pitch, more commonly known as perfect pitch, has long fascinated researchers in science and music, according to Joanna Kieran-Mendez, a third-year undergraduate student majoring in health policy and administration at Penn State. In collaboration with the College of Arts and Architecture’s Pitch Exploration Lab (PEL), and supported by a 2025 Erickson Discovery Grant, Kieran-Mendez has set out to better understand what makes this ability so extraordinary.
This past summer, Kieran-Mendez began work on a research project exploring what happens in the brain when individuals with absolute pitch both identify and reproduce musical notes.
Despite not coming from a strong musical background — Kieran-Mendez even jokingly admitted she was “forced to play the violin for six years” — she said she often found herself fascinated by the intersection of music, psychology and neuroscience. The PEL offered the perfect venue to explore the convergence of all three, according to Kieran-Mendez.
Founded and directed by Bryan Nichols, associate professor of music, the PEL engages undergraduate and graduate students in research related to singing accuracy and arts participation. The lab is an interdisciplinary hub for students and faculty in biology, pre-medicine fields, statistics, psychology, acoustics and other areas.
“The Pitch Lab aims to connect scholars from various fields to study topics that don’t fit just one discipline,” Nichols said. “In the Pitch Lab, undergraduate and graduate students work together to learn about research by doing it. They are asking novel research questions and choosing tools to answer those questions that promote arts and science research about the world around us.”
For Kieran-Mendez, the PEL is showing her the science behind music.
“Seeing everyone’s passion every week really inspired me to explore how music and the brain intersect,” she said.
During Kieran-Mendez’s study, which is ongoing, participants listen to tones and name them out loud, then attempt to sing them back. She records their brain activity using electroencephalography (EEG), a noninvasive tool that measures electrical signals in the brain.
“EEG is a tool that can record brain activity in real time, so it's perfect for studying something like pitch, which happens in milliseconds,” Kieran-Mendez said. “When someone hears a note or tries to sing a note back, their brain is reacting almost instantly. Then we just let this [EEG] capture those raptors.”
Her idea for the Erickson project took shape in 2024 after attending the Suncoast Symposium at the University of South Florida, where she met Michael Thaut, professor of music at the University of Toronto, who specializes in neurologic music therapy and its application in rehabilitation.
Thaut’s mentorship inspired Kieran-Mendez to begin the research work at Penn State, which she said merged two of her passions: neuroscience and music. To help prepare her for the research, Thaut introduced Kieran-Mendez to the EEG.
“EEG is like a different language,” Kieran-Mendez said. “Dr. Thaut made me read a hundred-page manual on EEG systems. Then he told me I also had to learn how to code.”
Despite the steep learning curve, she said applying what she learned from Thaut to the work in the PEL strengthened her problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, which are tools she plans to carry into her future career.
“Designing experiments, running participants and analyzing data gave me hands-on experience I’ll use whether I go into health research or policy,” she said. “These are skills that apply anywhere.”
The benefits could impact others, according to Nichols.
“Joanna is making a unique contribution to understanding how the brain processes information, including music,” Nichols said. “That fits with how we learn about the human condition: by studying how it works in different settings and stimuli.”
Kieran-Mendez said she hopes her research will serve as a bridge between the arts and the sciences.
“Studying absolute pitch teaches us about memory, perception and brain plasticity,” she said. “That knowledge of how the brain learns and changes could eventually help us understand neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. Even if my project is a small piece, I hope it contributes to that bigger picture.”
Her advice for other students considering applying for the Erickson Summer Discovery Grant or joining a research lab is simple.
“Don’t be afraid to take a shot in the dark,” Kieran-Mendez said. “Opportunities are meant to make you grow. Be curious, ask questions and be ready to learn from your mistakes.”
Upon completion of the project, Kieran-Mendez said she plans to publish the data. If the project and its findings are well-received, she said that she hopes to continue the research.