Sean Bailey | musician
Sean Bailey, Ph.D. enjoys an active, interdisciplinary musical life in the Philadelphia area, engaging with the field of musical creativity in ever-evolving contexts: including roles as an audio engineer, composer, educator, performer, and technologist—making music at the intersection of technology and the creative spirit.
In the Ivory Tower | Academic | Composer
Dr. Bailey holds a Ph.D. in Music Studies from Temple University (2025), with a dissertation (GENERIC: Musical Improvisation with Machine Learning and Generative Composition) exploring the nexus of human and artificial intelligence—both in theory and praxis through the lens of musical composition.
Sean holds teaching posts on woodwind performance, creative music technology, and arts entrepreneurship at a number of universities, and he has published numerous recordings as an audio engineer. In 2021 he was awarded a grant through the Rutgers University Library System to author a free, open-source textbook on arts entrepreneurship.
Sean has presented papers, compositions, and performances at international conferences including Audio Engineering Society [Europe] (AES-Europe), Music and the Moving Image (MAMI), New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival (NYCEMF), PDMaxCon25~, and the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States (SEAMUS).
On the Ground | Performer
Multi-instrumentalist Sean Bailey has performed and/or recorded alongside a spectrum of notable artists and institutions. As an ensemble player, highlights include the Philadelphia Ballet Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Opera Philadelphia, Philadelphia Orchestra, Philly Pops, the Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia; as a jazz soloist with greats including Randy Brecker, Jimmy Heath, Christian McBride, and Terell Stafford; and, as a first call woodwind doubler, local performances of national tours for superstar acts including The Who, Hugh Jackman, Andrea Bocelli, and shows including "Into the Woods," "Some Like it Hot," and "Wicked," among many others. An avid chamber musician, Sean is a member of, or collaborator with, new music ensembles including the Bowerbird Arcana ensemble, Network for New Music, Orchestra 2001, Relâche, and Revolution Winds. As a session musician and contributing creative improviser, Sean has recorded for commercials and film scores for studios including Google, Hilton, Legendary Pictures, and Signature Films. Sean's numerous recording credits encompass a range of styles, collaborations, and musical aesthetics.
In The Studio | Engineer | Creative Technologist
I have taught courses on audio recording, audio editing, computer music, and advanced production for the Music Technology program at Temple University since 2017—and for the Sound Recording and Music Technology (SRMT) program at the Community College of Philadelphia, in addition to serving on the SRMT program's advisory committee. In Spring 2026, I will deliver a new introductory course on music technology at Saint Joseph's University. In addition to teaching in the academic setting, I relish the chance to collaborate with artists on musical projects, including my role as an audio recording engineer for friends' and colleagues' creative endeavors.
My current piece, GENERIC (for clarinet in A and electronics) is on tour across the U.S., with an audio album and video recordings underway.