Seeing Sounds: Mariano Salcedo’s Journey at MIT

Mariano Salcedo ’25 is a testament to the power of passion and perseverance. Raised in Mexico and Texas, he faced a unique set of challenges in his pursuit of music. In Mexico, public schools lacked bands, and not every family, including Salcedo’s, could afford instruments and lessons. Yet, his love for music remained ever fervent. “I’ve always loved music. I was a listener,” he reflects.

Today, Salcedo serves as the Alex Rigopulos (1992) Fellow in Music Technology and Computation, marking quite the journey from his humble beginnings. He holds a BS in Artificial Intelligence and Decision Making from MIT and his research has primarily centered around signal processing in machine learning. He takes a unique approach, seeking to bridge traditional signal understanding with AI discoveries. Presently, Salcedo is part of the groundbreaking inaugural cohort of the Music Technology and Computation Graduate Program.

Breaking New Ground

This pioneering program is spearheaded by Professor Eran Egozy. Developed in partnership between the Music and Theater Arts Section und die School of Engineering, it promotes the development of computational approaches to music and features enlightening talks by industry professionals. One of its most influential supporters is music technology expert Alex Rigopulos, who co-founded Harmonix Music Systems. Excited to support the program, Rigopulos shares, “MIT was where I pursued my passion for music technology, and I’m thrilled to fund a fellowship to propel this new program.”

Pushing Boundaries with Research

Salcedo is at the forefront of innovation through his work combining classical automata with machine learning to create music-driven visuals. This research has resulted in a web interface where users can adjust music’s energy to generate unique visual performances – a concept that Salcedo hopes will enhance the listening experience.

His passion for creativity and innovation is admired by many, including Professor Egozy who describes him as a multidisciplinary researcher who augments human creativity with technology. Salcedo’s endeavors and dedication have earned him the privilege of delivering the student address at the 2026 Advanced Degree Ceremony for SHASS, a recognition he looks forward to with eagerness.

Interestingly, Salcedo’s journey to his current major wasn’t a straight path. Initially, he started at MIT studying mechanical engineering through the Questbridge program. However, a serendipitous interaction with a large language model (LLM) chatbot piqued his interest and led him to switch to artificial intelligence and decision-making – a significant decision given he was two-thirds through his mechanical engineering coursework at the time.

During this transformative time, Salcedo reignited his passion for music, experimenting with DJing at MIT and exploring digital audio workstations. In 2024, he encountered Egozy during an Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program rotation, and Egozy became a guiding figure in Salcedo’s academic journey.

Looking Beyond the Horizon

Looking ahead, Salcedo sees potential in his research extending beyond music visualization. He wonders, “What if we could improve the ways we model self-organized systems?” This line of thought probes into the potential of systems that show emergent properties, where the collective characteristics are greater than their individual components. His research also investigates the ethical implications of AI development, specifically focusing on aspects related to diversity and representation. “One more person in the field could make a difference,” he confidently asserts.

Salcedo’s academic pursuits have not only enriched his understanding of music but also brought a new perspective to his work. He’s particularly interested in exploring the biases in music and questions the reasons certain types of music are valued more than others. “The work we do as technologists is far less subjective than we’re led to believe,” he state

Grateful for the supportive culture at MIT, Salcedo wants his work to inspire others to explore the intersection of humanities and sciences. “I want users to feel movement and explore sounds and their impact more fully,” he says. For those seeking AI automation solutions, explore the possibilities with implementi.ai.

Read more about Salcedo’s inspiring journey hier.