Sam Leak

Funded by the AHRC, Dr Leak’s doctoral research investigated the adult acquisition of absolute pitch, drawing on cognitive psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, learning theory, and advanced statistical methods. He designed and coded a bespoke training and testing system and analysed data from 521 participants. His findings challenge prevailing assumptions about absolute pitch and led to the formulation of the Absolute Pitch Fundamental Difference Hypothesis. This work has been presented at research seminars in Cambridge and at the Francis Crick Institute. He currently has four papers in preparation with Professor Ian Cross (University of Cambridge) and is developing an iOS application to support future data collection and research dissemination.

He was also a co-investigator on the ESRC-funded project “Investigating the Monetisation of Live Streams of Musical Performances in the Wake of COVID-19” (GBP 50,437.87), a collaboration between Middlesex University and King’s College London with external partners including Serious Productions, the Musicians’ Union, the Incorporated Society of Musicians, the Sheffield Performer and Audience Research Centre, and the Music Venue Trust. The project produced two UKRI/ESRC-commissioned reports (Livestreaming Music in the UK and Livestreaming Music in the UK: Quantitative Analysis, 2021). He led the statistical analysis of survey data from approximately 1,500 participants, examining livestreaming practices, technology, legal frameworks, monetisation strategies, and the evolving role of livestreaming in the music industry. These reports were widely disseminated through professional bodies, received over 1,000 downloads within the first month, and have since been cited in several peer-reviewed journals.