Alexander Refsum Jensenius
Encyclopedia
Alexander Refsum Jensenius (born November 10, 1978) is a Norwegian
research
er and musician
.
Jensenius is educated in music
, computer science
, physics
and mathematics
. He was awarded a Master of Arts
degree (cand.philol.
) in Music technology
by the University of Oslo
in 2002, and was awarded a doctorate
by the same institution in 2008. In addition he holds a Master of Science
degree in applied information technology
from Chalmers University of Technology
in Gothenburg
. He has been guest researcher at University of California, Berkeley
and McGill University
in Montreal
.
Jensenius received an unusually high degree of media attention when he finished his doctorate. Several newspapers and TV stations named him "Dr Air Guitar
". This was based on his research into musical gestures
. He had developed new technology for analysis of movement. This technology is both used in music research and in psychological research on ADHD.
Alexander Jensenius was president of the Norwegian Association of Young Scientists from 1999 to 2001, and has also been project manager for European Space Camp
at Andøya Rocket Range
. He was a candidate for the board of the University of Oslo in 2007.
Jensenius is presently employed as a postdoctoral research fellow at the Department of Musicology, University of Oslo. He is the grandson of politician Marie Borge Refsum
.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
er and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
.
Jensenius is educated in music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
, physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
and mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
. He was awarded a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree (cand.philol.
Candidatus Philologiæ
Candidatus philologiae or Candidata philologiae , often abbreviated cand.philol. is an academic degree in Arts and Letters at Danish and Norwegian universities. A cand.philol. is generally considered equivalent to the British Master of Philosophy, the French diplôme d'études approfondies or the...
) in Music technology
Music technology
Music technology is a term that refers to all forms of technology involved with the musical arts, particularly the use of electronic devices and computer software to facilitate playback, recording, composition, storage and performance. This subject is taught at many different educational levels,...
by the University of Oslo
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
in 2002, and was awarded a doctorate
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
by the same institution in 2008. In addition he holds a Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
degree in applied information technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
from Chalmers University of Technology
Chalmers University of Technology
Chalmers University of Technology , is a Swedish university located in Gothenburg that focuses on research and education in technology, natural science and architecture.-History:...
in Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
. He has been guest researcher at University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
and McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
.
Jensenius received an unusually high degree of media attention when he finished his doctorate. Several newspapers and TV stations named him "Dr Air Guitar
Air guitar
Playing air guitar is a form of dance and movement in which the performer pretends to play rock or heavy metal-style electric guitar, including riffs, solos, etc. Playing an air guitar usually consists of exaggerated strumming and picking motions and is often coupled with loud singing or lip-synching...
". This was based on his research into musical gestures
Musical gestures
In music, gesture is any movement, either physical or mental . As such "gesture" includes both categories of movements required to produce sound and categories of perceptual moves associated with those gestures. The concept of musical gestures has received much attention in various musicological...
. He had developed new technology for analysis of movement. This technology is both used in music research and in psychological research on ADHD.
Alexander Jensenius was president of the Norwegian Association of Young Scientists from 1999 to 2001, and has also been project manager for European Space Camp
European Space Camp
European Space Camp is a summer camp for youths aged 17–20, which focuses on giving a hands-on experience into the field of aerospace engineering and launch vehicles. Participants from all over Europe and the world stay at Andøya Rocket Range for one week, learning from professionals and becoming...
at Andøya Rocket Range
Andøya Rocket Range
Andøya Rocket Range is a rocket launch site and rocket range on Andøya island in Andøy municipality in northern Norway...
. He was a candidate for the board of the University of Oslo in 2007.
Jensenius is presently employed as a postdoctoral research fellow at the Department of Musicology, University of Oslo. He is the grandson of politician Marie Borge Refsum
Marie Borge Refsum
Marie Borge Refsum is a Norwegian politician, who served as a member of the Conservative Party.She served as a deputy representative to the Norwegian Parliament from Akershus during the term 1973–1977....
.