Adedolapo Adedokun stands at the exciting threshold of 2023 with promising prospects. Upon completing his electrical engineering and computer science degree next spring, he's set to embark on a transformative journey to Ireland, where he will pursue an MS in intelligent systems at Trinity College Dublin as MIT’s fourth recipient of the prestigious George J. Mitchell Scholarship. However, Dolapo, as he prefers to be called, embodies much more than academic excellence. Beyond his impressive skills as a computer scientist, this senior student shines as an accomplished musician, an influential student government leader, and an enthusiastic anime aficionado.
Q: What aspects of your upcoming year studying in Ireland excite you the most?
A: My fascination with Ireland grew when I discovered Music Generation, Ireland's national music education initiative. This remarkable program aims to provide every child in Ireland with access to the arts through music tuition, performance opportunities, and comprehensive music education both inside and outside traditional classrooms. It made me reflect, "This is a nation that truly values arts and music education, investing to make it accessible across all socioeconomic backgrounds." I find tremendous inspiration in this initiative and wish similar opportunities had been available during my formative years.
I'm also deeply inspired by Louis Stewart, an extraordinary jazz guitarist born and raised in Dublin. I'm eager to explore his musical influences and immerse myself in Dublin's vibrant musical community. I hope to join a jazz ensemble—perhaps a trio or quartet—and perform throughout the city, fully engaging with Ireland's rich musical heritage while sharing my own unique styles and influences with the local community.
Q: During your time in Ireland, you'll be focusing on your MS in intelligent systems. I'm particularly fascinated by your invention of a smart-home system that enables users to layer different melodies as they enter and exit a building. Could you elaborate on this system—its functionality, user interaction design, and the insights you gained from developing it?
A: Interestingly, this project originated during my freshman year in 6.08 (Introduction to Embedded Systems), where I collaborated with classmates on what we called Smart HOMiE. This IoT [internet-of-things] Arduino-based smart-home device collected basic information such as location and weather data and interfaced with Amazon Alexa. I had largely forgotten about this project until my junior year, when I took 21M.080 (Introduction to Music Technology) and 6.033 (Computer System Engineering). These courses exposed me to the creative applications of machine learning and computer science in audio synthesis and digital instrument design.
I discovered groundbreaking projects like Google Magenta’s Tone Transfer ML—machine learning models that transform sounds into authentic musical instruments. Exploring this unique intersection of music and technology prompted me to contemplate bigger questions: "What kind of creative future can technology enable? How can technological advancements empower everyone to express themselves creatively?"
During a period of downtime while at home for a year, I decided to experiment with some of the audio synthesis tools I had learned about. I revisited Smart HOMiE and enhanced its capabilities, making it more musically oriented. The system operated through three primary steps. First, multiple users could sing and record melodies that the device would save and store. Next, using various pitch correction and audio synthesis Python libraries, Smart HOMiE would process the recorded melodies, adjusting them until they harmonized well together—technically speaking, ensuring they fit within the same musical key. Finally, the system would combine these melodies, adding harmonies or layering them over a backing track, resulting in something truly unique and expressive. While the implementation was somewhat rudimentary, this project represented my first exploration into the remarkable work already accomplished by innovators in this field. Technology possesses incredible potential to transform anyone into a creator—and I aspire to develop the tools that will make this possible.
Q: You're a jazz instrumentalist yourself. Tell us more about your musical journey!
A: I've always felt a natural connection to music, but I didn't always believe I could become a musician. I played saxophone in middle school, but it never truly resonated with me. Upon arriving at MIT, I had the fortune of taking 21M.051 (Fundamentals of Music), where I delved into proper music theory for the first time. It was in this class that I encountered jazz and immediately fell in love with the genre. I'll never forget walking back to New House from Barker Library during my freshman year and stumbling upon “Undercurrent,” by Bill Evans and Jim Hall—that was the moment I decided I wanted to learn jazz guitar.
Jazz, particularly improvisation, has taught me invaluable lessons about creativity: the willingness to experiment, take risks, build upon others' work, and accept failure—all skills that have undoubtedly made me a better technologist and leader. Most importantly, however, music and jazz have instilled in me patience and discipline, teaching me that mastering a skill requires a lifetime of dedication. While I wouldn't claim to be satisfied with my current abilities, each day brings eagerness to take at least one small step toward my goals.
Q: You've focused on music and arts education, and technology's potential to enhance both. Was there a specific class, technology, or teacher that significantly influenced your path?
A: That's a challenging question! Several pivotal moments have truly transformed my trajectory. The first occurred in high school when I first discovered Guitar Hero, the music rhythm video game that originated as a project in the MIT Media Lab, aiming to bring the joy of music-making to people from all backgrounds. It was then that I recognized technology's multidisciplinary potential in service to others.
The next significant moment was taking 6.033 at MIT. From the very first day, Professor [Katrina] LaCurts emphasized the importance of understanding the people for whom we design. She taught us to view system design as inherently people-oriented—before designing any system, we must first consider the users: their goals, personas, backgrounds, the barriers they face, and most importantly, the consequences of our design and implementation choices. I envision a future where music, arts, and the creative process are accessible to everyone, and I believe 6.033 has provided me with the foundation to build the technology that will help achieve this vision.
Q: You've also developed a passion for broadband infrastructure, which might not seem immediately connected to music and education, your other areas of focus. Why is broadband so crucial?
A: Before we can consider technology's potential to democratize access to music and the arts, we must first step back and consider accessibility itself. Which communities have greater or lesser access to the technology many of us take for granted? I view broadband as just one component of a larger problem: accessibility, particularly in minority and low-income communities. I see technology as the key to democratizing access to music and the arts for people of all backgrounds—but technology can only serve as this key if the foundational infrastructure exists for everyone to leverage it. Just as I learned in 6.033, this means understanding the barriers faced by people and communities with the least access and investing in essential, basic technological resources like equitable broadband internet access.
Q: With your involvement in the Undergraduate Student Advisory Group in EECS, the Harvard/MIT Cooperative Society, the MIT Chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers, not to mention your research and numerous academic interests, many readers must wonder if you ever find time to eat or sleep! How have you balanced your demanding MIT life while maintaining your sense of self amid such remarkable undergraduate achievements?
A: Excellent question! I'll begin by acknowledging that finding this balance took considerable time. There were semesters when I had to drop classes or reduce my extracurricular commitments to establish some semblance of equilibrium. It's always challenging, surrounded by the world's brightest students all accomplishing incredible things, not to feel pressured to add just one more class or an additional UROP.
However, I believe the most crucial aspect is staying true to yourself—identifying what brings you joy and excitement, and determining how many of these commitments you can reasonably undertake each semester. I'm not the type of student who can simultaneously handle countless classes, research projects, internships, and clubs—and that's perfectly acceptable. It took time to discover my passions and understand the appropriate academic load for each semester, but once I did, I found myself happier than ever before. I realized that activities like playing tennis and basketball, jamming with friends, and even sneaking in a few anime episodes here and there are genuinely important to my well-being. As long as I can look back each week, month, semester, and year and recognize that I've made some progress—however small—toward my academic, social, and musical goals, I believe I'm moving in the right direction.
