About CCARH

The Center for Computer Assisted Research in the Humanities (CCARH) was founded in the 1984 by Walter Hewlett. The Center for Computer Assisted Research in the Humanities (CCARH) was founded in the 1984 by Walter Hewlett. It operated independently as the Center for Computer-Assisted Research in the Humanities, with premises in Menlo Park, CA, until 1996, when it moved into the Braun Music Center on the Stanford campus. Its purposes were (1) to develop software for encoding, printing, and analysis of musical repertory; (2) to promote interest in such capabilities within the academic community; (3) to provide instructional material for university-level courses; and (4) to enable more effective communications about digital initiatives focused on music.

In 1994 CCARH began to offer advanced courses in music encoding and computational musicology at Stanford University. This led to the move to the Braun Music Center in 1996. Its courses are cross-listed in music and computer science. CCARH has played an active role on several standards bodies, with its greatest contributions made to RISM and MEI.

Currently it is run by the Packard Humanities Institute, and is located on the Stanford University Campus. CCARH is engaged in the development of large databases of musical and textual materials for applications in research, teaching, and performance.