CS Senior Spotlight: Nathan Pruyne

Computer scientist and musician Nathan Pruyne aims to steer the development of machine learning models that will aid human creativity, rather than circumvent it. He researches controllable machine learning models and interfaces for music production and collaborative music-making.

A member of the Interactive Audio Lab advised by Bryan Pardo, Pruyne also worked closely with Max Morrison (PhD ’24) on projects exploring neural speech editing, attribution for generative music models, and the control and correction of prosody — the melody of speech reflecting changes in pitch, timing, and loudness.

When he wasn’t in the lab or classroom, Pruyne served as co-president of the Songwriters Association at Northwestern, played mellophone in the Northwestern University Marching Band and Basketball Band, sang with the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Iota Chapter Choir, deejayed the streetbeat programming block with Northwestern’s WNUR Student Radio Station, and tinkered with the Northwestern Robotics Club.

Pruyne graduates this month with a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Northwestern Engineering, a second major in music technology from the Bienen School of Music, and a minor in sound design from the School of Communication.

We asked Pruyne about his experiences at the McCormick School of Engineering, impactful collaborative experiences, and his advice for students.

What inspired you to pursue a degree in computer science at Northwestern?

Computer science has always excited me because of its combination of creativity and logical thinking, both of which I discovered I enjoyed at a fairly young age. I was inspired to pursue computer science at Northwestern because of the opportunity to have a well-rounded curriculum not just in computer science, but in engineering and creative arts.

How did interdisciplinary collaboration and teamwork shape your experience in the program

Interdisciplinary work was incredibly important to me since what I wanted to pursue required both a strong knowledge of cutting-edge computer science techniques like machine learning and a deep understanding of music creation. Much of my research work depended on feedback from and collaboration with people from various disciplines, including getting advice on how to design more effective systems and how to make those systems more applicable and useful to musicians and creatives, our intended users.

What project or assignment are you most proud of from your time in the program?

I both enjoyed and grew tremendously working on ProMoNet, a research project in the Interactive Audio Lab led by Max Morrison. ProMoNet is a neural speech editor that enables users to modify features of their speech recordings like pitch, loudness, or phoneme representations on a fine-grained level. This project gave me hands-on experience with many different areas of the machine learning development process including data preprocessing, model architecture design, and model evaluation.

How has your approach to problem-solving evolved during your studies?

I grew as a problem-solver by learning how and when it was best to gain background knowledge when approaching a certain problem. During my time at Northwestern, I discovered the importance of not only focusing on a problem or design challenge ahead of me but also understanding the fundamental concepts behind the problem.

What role do creativity and design play in your approach to coding or building systems?

Understanding the creative process is a fascinating and challenging task for me, and one that strongly motivates my research so I can develop new technologies that will in turn aid others in creative tasks. When I think about making these systems, I love brainstorming different methods of approaching problems and presenting potential solutions to users, both of which help me understand how creatives will use the systems I build.

How did you stay motivated during difficult times in your academic career?

I put a heavy emphasis on connecting with the campus community during my academic career, which is something that definitely helped me when I was struggling, whether it was through getting advice and assistance, or just being able to have friends to commiserate and have fun with. I very quickly discovered that most of the challenges I faced were things that other students had to navigate in the past, and speaking with those that related to my difficulties definitely helped me when facing them.

I also discovered I was able to stay driven through being involved in many different activities and different types of work. If I was feeling demotivated by one of my CS classes, I was able to switch to working on a composition for a music technology class or helping design a robot. Switching between activities that I enjoyed allowed me to stay driven to get all my myriad tasks done and feel fulfilled while doing so.

What's next? What are your short- and long-term plans/goals in terms of graduate studies and/or career path?

I’m joining the Generative Creativity (G-CLef) Lab at Carnegie Mellon University as a PhD student next fall to develop generative AI systems that will aid human creativity in music creation. I continue to be excited by ways that generative AI can be used to enable songwriters and composers to fulfill their creative visions. I’m not sure whether I want to pursue a career in academia or industry after my doctoral degree, but working closely with songwriters will continue to be a priority.

What advice would you give to current or incoming CS students?

Remember what you’re passionate about, and use that to contextualize your CS degree, and your college experience in general, in a way that will be most fulfilling to you. Remembering my joy of creating and sharing music and the fulfillment I felt in problem solving enabled me to enjoy even the most technical and difficult classes. At times, the life of a Northwestern student will feel overwhelming and tedious, but by remembering the core reasons you’re choosing to pursue your degree, you’ll be able to maintain motivation, surround yourself with like-minded people, and pursue your degree in a way that will best fit your strengths and what you hope to accomplish in the future.