Friday, April 26, 2024

Fwd: CfP: A Symposium on AI & Digital Innovations for Chamber Music

Apologies for cross-posting.

*Critical & Creative Digital Dynamics: A Symposium on AI & Digital
Innovations for Inter-art Chamber Music Practices*

Organiser: Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies (ILCS) at the
School of Advanced Study, University of London
Submission deadline: 17 May 2024 (please note the deadline for paper submission has been extended)
Notification of acceptance: 20 May 2024
Symposium: 24 June 2024
Location: Woburn Suite, G22/26, Ground Floor, Senate House, Malet Street,
London WC1E 7HU

*CALL FOR PAPERS & PARTICIPANTS!*

We are pleased to announce a one-day symposium centred around AI, digital
innovation, and the fusion of art forms in performance practices. We will
dive into a world where artistic mediums transcend boundaries, combining
live music-making with dynamic elements such as animated paintings,
electronic literature, moving images, and more. This synergy of inter-art
expressions can be further enhanced using today's cutting-edge AI and
interactive technologies, bringing new dimensions of immersion and audience
engagement. Our goal is to challenge the traditional perceptions of
classical chamber music as 'elitist', transforming it into an inclusive and
democratic experience that resonates with our rapidly evolving digital
society.

The highlight of the symposium will be a piano trio concert, where new
media arts and generative AI technologies converge, followed by a keynote
speech and interactive workshop focusing on creative business insights,
entrepreneurship, and the future of innovative inter-art endeavours. We'll
also tackle critical dialogues surrounding AI's role in the performing
arts, pondering whether it disrupts or augments the 'embodied' aspects of
human creativity. Join us for a day of exploration, inspiration, and
spirited discussion on the forefront of art and technology.

We warmly invite abstract submissions for a 15-minute presentation of
papers, performances, or other formats of creative contributions from
academics of all career levels, postgraduate students, independent
scholars, and artists. Presentations may address, but are not limited to,
any of the following topics:

   - AI and human creativity
   - Enhancing audience engagement through AI
   - Interdisciplinary fusion in art and technology
   - The future of live performance in a digital age
   - Innovative business models or sustainable business strategies for
   inter-art endeavours

Abstracts should consist of no more than 200 words and should be submitted
by *17 May 2024* to *creativedigidynamics@gmail.com*.
The full call for papers and other details may be found at the conference
webpage (please note the deadline for paper submission has been extended):
https://ilcs.sas.ac.uk/events/critical-creative-digital-dynamics-a-symposium-ai-digital-innovations-inter-art-chamber

Thursday, April 18, 2024

Fwd: Research positions with Centre for Digital Music @QMUL

I am happy to announce that the Centre for Digital Music is now formally advertising the new research positions I posted last week. One area is lyrics generation and the other is music signal processing (instrument ID, loop ID, lyric transcription). Both are collaborative with London-based music industry companies, session and stage.

 

These are available immediately and can be offered as either post-doctoral or graduate research assistants, and can be either full- or part-time. Closing date is May 1 2024.

 

Details can be found here

https://www.qmul.ac.uk/jobs/vacancies/items/9619.html

https://www.qmul.ac.uk/jobs/vacancies/items/9617.html

 

 

thanks

Mark

 

-- 

Please note I work part time Monday - Thursday so there may be a delay to my email response. 


professor mark sandler, FREng, CEng, FIEEE, FAES, FIET
Turing Fellow
 
director of the centre for digital music (c4dm)

school of electronic engineering and computer science, queen mary university of london
mark.sandler@qmul.ac.uk | +44 (0)20 7882 7680

NYU Shanghai Interactive Media and Business Postdoctoral Program

NYU Shanghai Interactive Media and Business Postdoctoral Program

New York University: NYU - Shanghai: Shanghai: Arts and Sciences: Interactive Media and Business

Location

Shanghai, China

Open Date

Apr 17, 2024

Description

NYU Shanghai is inviting applications for a full-time postdoctoral research and teaching position to support research and undergraduate teaching in our Interactive Media and Business (IMB) major. We seek candidates whose teaching practices and scholarship lie at the intersection of innovation and business education. Successful candidates will play a pivotal role in both teaching (70%) and research (30%), with their teaching closely aligned with their research projects. This unique blend of responsibilities offers an exceptional opportunity for postdoctoral fellows to develop their teaching profile and academic research career while making significant contributions to the IMB teaching and course development.

About the IMB Program 

The Interactive Media and Business (IMB) major is where innovation and business meet through emerging media and technology. IMB teaches how innovative ideas combine with technology, creativity, and business principles to yield viable products, services, and experiences. Our project-based curriculum explores new models for creation, innovation, and entrepreneurship through the development of software and hardware, the manipulation of digital media, the design and fabrication of material objects, the construction of virtual and physical spaces, and engagement with broad communities. Our seminars encourage study of the history and philosophy of emerging media as they impact society as a whole. Our program is currently served by eleven full-time faculty members (seven are clinical teaching faculty and four are tenured/tenure-track faculty), and five adjunct faculty members. 

Responsibilities

Teaching and Other Responsibilities (70%)
  • Design and Teach Project-Based Innovation and Business Courses: Teach and develop interdisciplinary, project-based courses to engage students in learning about innovative business strategies and practices. The postdoctoral fellow is expected to teach two full courses each semester. 

  • Develop and Sustain Outside Partnerships in Undergraduate Teaching: Design pedagogical frameworks to integrate innovation and business theories with real-world projects from different economic and artistic sectors, in order to inform future course design in innovation and business.

Research (30%) 

  • Conduct and Publish Research in Innovative Business Education: Contribute to manuscript preparation, report writing, grant applications, seminar and conference applications and presentations, and other dissemination efforts (e.g., papers, book chapters, books, online formats, etc.) together with program faculty. 

  • Collaborate with IMB Faculty to Support Curriculum Development: Draft internal reports to share insights and future plans to guide future IMB core-course development in the area of innovation, business, and entrepreneurship.

Terms of employment at NYU Shanghai are comparable to NYU New York and other U.S. institutions.  

Qualifications

  • PhD, EdD, or other terminal degree conferred no later than August 2024 in business or a related field with a focus on innovative business theories and practices (e.g., innovation and entrepreneurship, innovation management, social innovation, strategy and leadership, industrial/organizational psychology, business anthropology).

Required Experience/Skills/Competences:

  • Teaching experience in business strategy, entrepreneurship, or innovative business practices

  • Strong project management and proactive communication abilities

  • Experience designing and implementing qualitative, quantitative, and/or mixed-methods research studies

  • Fluency in academic and spoken English

  • Excellent interpersonal skills for effective teaching and collaboration with outside partners

Preferred Experience/Skills/Competences:

  • Course design experience that integrates business projects 

  • Experience and strong interest in working within a multicultural and global educational environment

  • Prior record of publications, conference presentations, and workshops

  • Experience or strong interest in exploring the use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in research and teaching

Application Instructions

Applicants should submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, statement of research and teaching interests, and electronic copies of up to five relevant research publications. To complete the online process, applicants will be prompted to enter the names and email addresses of at least three referees. Additional materials may be requested for those advanced to the next round of review.

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. If you have any questions, please email the NYU Shanghai NY Office of Faculty Recruitment at shanghai.faculty.recruitment@nyu.edu.

About NYU Shanghai:

NYU Shanghai is the third degree-granting campus within New York University's Global Network. It is the first higher education joint venture in China authorized to grant degrees that are accredited in the U.S. as well as in China. All teaching is conducted in English. A research university with liberal arts and science at its core, NYU Shanghai resides in one of the world's great cities with a vibrant intellectual community. NYU Shanghai recruits scholars of the highest caliber who are committed to NYU's global vision of transformative teaching and innovative research and who embody the global society in which we live.

NYU's Global Network includes degree-granting campuses in New York, Shanghai, and Abu Dhabi, complemented by twelve additional academic centers across the world. Faculty and students may circulate within the network in pursuit of common research interests and cross-cultural, interdisciplinary endeavors, both local and global.

For people in the EU, click here for information on your privacy rights under GDPR: www.nyu.edu/it/gdpr.

Fwd: [DMRN-LIST] £22k + fees PhD Scholarships at London College of Music, UWL


The London College of Music, as part of The University of West London's research expansion strategy, is offering a number of opportunities for fully funded PhD Scholarships: https://www.uwl.ac.uk/course/research/music?start=1240&option=33. If you scroll down on that page you'll find a complete list of supervisors with links to their profiles. 

Our scholarships are open to full-time, part-time, home and international* students and comprises an attractive package including:

Full-time

Stipend of £22,000 per year (tax free)

Up to £900 per year to attend conferences 

Duration: Three years

Part-time

Stipend of £11,000 per year (tax free)

Up to £450 per year to attend conferences

Duration: Six years


 PhD scholars will be expected to carry out teaching or research duties for a maximum of six hours per week (full-time) and three hours per week (part-time).

Particular attention will be paid to applications aligned with one (or more) of our research strategic priorities:

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) – We encourage applications promoting and embedding EDI values throughout the whole research process. We also encourage original research addressing key EDI-related challenges.

Interdisciplinarity – We encourage applications sitting across several UWL Schools/Colleges and demonstrating innovative research focus and/or methodologies.

Impact – We encourage applications demonstrating effect on, change or benefit to the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life, beyond academia.

Successful applicants to the Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship will join a vibrant and challenging academic environment where innovation, insight, and knowledge creation feeds into high quality research.  

Deadlines for applications:

International/Home students: 12 May 2024, Home/settled students: 30 June 2024

Research degrees | University of West London (uwl.ac.uk)

* Please note that international students cannot apply for part-time scholarships

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Fwd: Invitation to the inaugural Musical Care in Dialogue session hosted by the Musical Care International Network

[sent on behalf of Dr Neta Spiro]

Dear Musical Care International Network members, 

We are delighted to invite you to the inaugural Musical Care in Dialogue session hosted by the Musical Care International Network.

Filippo Bonini Baraldi (NOVA University, Lisbon) and Dave Camlin (Royal College of Music) will be talking about 'Love and Empathy in Musical Care'. The session will be chaired by Giorgos Tsiris (Queen Margaret University). More information about the theme and speakers is below.   

Date: Monday 13th May 2024
Time: 09:30 - 10:30 (BST)
Zoom link: 
https://imperial-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/99598418518?pwd=V2J3c3h3cVk3UjFUS1hndFNoN0U3dz09
Meeting ID: 995 9841 8518 
Passcode: p!5A.k 

The session will begin with short presentations by each of the speakers followed by open discussion. As ever with Network meetings, we look forward to lively discussion.   

The session will be recorded and shared among network members in the first instance. 

Please do share this invitation with your networks.

For new members, please register for email updates about Network events, including future Musical Care in Dialogue sessions here: https://imperial.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0ocwfSmXzZL32Qe. More information about the network is available here: https://musicalcareresearch.com/musical-care-network/

Best wishes, 
Neta, Bonnie, and Katie Rose 

Bio and topics:

Filippo Bonini Baraldi is Principal Researcher (CEEC_ind) at the Instituto de Etnomusicologia (INET-md) of NOVA University, Lisbon (Portugal), where he leads the research group "Ethnomusicology and Popular Music Studies" , and associate member of the Centre de Recherche en Ethnomusicologie (Crem-LESC) of Université Paris Nanterre (France). His researches on music, emotion, and health, based on long term fieldworks in Romania, Italy, and Brazil, are strongly interdisciplinary and combine methods of ethnomusicology, music computing, and cognitive sciences. His book  "Roma Music and Emotion" , (Oxford UP, 2021) has been awarded the ICTM book prize (honorable mention) and the William A. Douglas Prize in Europeanist Anthropology (Society for the Anthropology of Europe, a section of the American Anthropological Association).

In this short talk, I will show how the Transylvania Roma (Gypsies) perform "personal songs"  with the aim of establishing an intersubjective relationship with somebody who is otherwise absent or has passed away. In some cases, performing "personal songs" provokes a sort of emotional crisis which is intended as having a cathartic effect. I understand this emotional crisis as the co-presence of two opposite psychological states: a heightened sense of emotional and corporeal proximity with one's "brothers" and a heightened sense of emotional and physical separation from the beloved of the family. Music renders feasible this "oscillation" between these two opposite psychological realities as it builds a "collective body" where everyone is close and equal to the other while  simultaneously enabling one to feel the absence of a part of the community.  I will also suggest that this same process is at stake in other healing rituals the world around.

..........................................

Dr. Dave Camlin's musical practice spans performance, composition, teaching, Community Music (CM) and research. He lectures in music education at the Royal College of Music and Trinity-Laban Conservatoire and was Head of HE / Research at Sage Gateshead from 2010-19. His research interests include: CM, especially group singing; music, health and wellbeing; musician education. He has pioneered the use of Sensemaker® 'distributed ethnography' as a research method for understanding artistic and cultural experiences. His recent book Music Making and Civic Imagination: a Holistic Philosophy explores the potential of musicing as both a complex adaptive system (CAS) and a global resource for sustainability.

In my provocation, I'll suggest that the notion of 'love-in-action' arises in music making through the complex ways in which music makers 'tune in' to each other, both musically and neurobiologically, leading to a sense of 'feeling felt' through 'self-other' merging. I'll point to previous research where one participant suggested music making represented a kind of 'safe danger' for experiencing intimacy, because it provides opportunities for psychological and neurobiological intimacy which the participants have some degree of control over. I'll also raise some of the ontological and epistemological challenges of thinking about love and music making in this way, given that these experiences of intimacy are highly individualised and not susceptible to measurement or comparison owing to their complex entanglement with other biological, psychological, social, behavioural and musical mechanisms.

Monday, April 15, 2024

Fwd: Call for posters on classical music research for an industry audience

Hi everyone,

We are inviting proposals for a poster session at the following conference next month: 

 

Making the Case for Classical: Research, Insight and Advocacy 

Wednesday 22nd May 2024, Sheffield, UK (venue tba)

In this challenging period of arts funding, it's more important than ever that we have the right evidence to make the case for classical music. This one-day symposium will explore the current state of research and data in the classical music sector and help to improve the quality and effectiveness of the evidence we collect. Delivered in partnership between the University of Liverpool, the Association of British Orchestras and Music in the Round, this conference is intended for a mixed audience of academics and industry professionals.

 

We are inviting proposals for posters which showcase your research for an industry audience. Presenters will have the opportunity to "host" their poster in a dedicated session, with delegates being guided round the displays. We hope this will allow you to disseminate your work to different audiences and spark new conversations for future research and impact. 

 

We invite proposals for posters on any topic relating to the conference theme. Some (non-exhaustive) examples might include: 

  • Audiences and the listening experience
  • Socio-demographics of classical music engagement
  • Cultural policy and classical music funding
  • The classical music workforce: make-up, experiences, challenges
  • Music education today and for the future
  • Community engagement and the role of arts organisations in supporting wellbeing

 

Application

Given the short turnaround for this event, we are operating a fairly informal application process. Please send an introduction and a short description of the research you wish to present as soon as possible to Sarah Price (sarah.price@liverpool.ac.uk). Decisions will be made and communicated on a case-by-case basis to allow maximum time for preparing the poster. Posters should be designed with a knowledgeable but non-academic audience in mind. 

 

Any questions, please don't hesitate to email me (sarah.price@liverpool.ac.uk).

 

Best wishes

Sarah

 

Dr Sarah Price (she/her)

Lecturer in Music Industries

AHRC Research, Development and Engagement Fellow: Audiences for Classical Music

Department of Music

School of the Arts

80-82 Bedford Street South

Liverpool L69 7WW

T: 0151 795 1439

E: sarah.price@liverpool.ac.uk

W: http://www.liv.ac.uk/arts/

 

iMerc Newsletter — Vol. 7, April 2024

 

UCL iMerc Newsletter — Vol. 7, April 2024

About us

Since the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, we have been meeting regularly to share new research and insights related to diverse topics in music education, broadly conceived. We are a group of researchers at doctoral and post-doctoral levels, as well as senior researchers, with a shared curiosity and interest in advancing basic and applied research. Our monthly seminars are also designed to foster a sense of community amongst colleagues who are mainly based in the UK, mainland Europe (such as Portugal, Germany, Greece), Asia (China, including Hong Kong), Latin America and Australia. Opportunity is taken each month to update various current research projects and also to listen to the latest research from our invited speakers. If you would like to know more or to join us, please contact us.


Our upcoming research seminar is on Wednesday, 25th April 2024, 11am BST. It will be held on Zoom and in either room 943 or room 938 at the IOE. We are very happy to have our colleagues Kate Laurence and Zeinab El-Khateeb speak to us. Please join us by clicking the Zoom link HERE. Everyone is welcome!

In This Issue

  • Dr Jo Saunders

  • Previous iMerc Research Seminar, March 2024

  • Music Video: Veyilodu Vilaiyadi by The Harmony Chorus

  • Recording: Cathedral Opera 'The Bruce'

  • Newly Published: Rhythm and Reading: Connecting the Training of Musical Rhythm to the Development of Literacy Skills

  • Recently published: Musical and cognitive abilities in children from disadvantaged backgrounds

  • Recently Published: Music, drama, and social development in Portuguese children

  • Event: Narrative Inquiry & New-York Cheese Cake

  • iMerc Research Seminar, April 2024

  • In Conversation with Dr Rebecca Moseley-Morgan

  • Upcoming Research Seminar

  • Contact us

Dr Jo Saunders

After being a key member of the music education team for the past two decades, this Easter 2024 Dr Jo Saunders has recently left her full-time lecturer post at the Insitute of Education in London to get married and to live in Boston, USA. We wish her every success in this new phase of her life and we shall miss her very much!

Jo joined the IoE in 2002 as a sponsored ESRC PhD student, having already successfully completed her MPhil at the University of Cambridge. Jo was an outstanding doctoral student and subsequently passed her PhD with flying colours in 2008. Her focus was on pupils' musical engagement in the Secondary school music classroom with research that drew on her own teaching in the East of England. This personal research study was followed by employment (initially part-time, then full-time) as a Research Officer on a series of externally funded major projects that investigated children and young people's musical behaviours and development, including studies of singing and instrumental learning, as well as the potential wider benefits of music education. During this period, Jo's recognised expertise in music education led her to begin teaching on the MA in Music Education and, subsequently, to become a full-time lecturer with her own doctoral students. Jo's contribution to the development, success and high status of music education at the IoE has been immense, as many of our current and former students, as well as colleagues, will testify. Jo will continue teaching in a part-time distance role for the rest of this academic year to ensure that her current students complete their studies successfully. Whatever happens subsequently, Jo will always be a part of the team and welcome to visit and contribute at any time!

Previous iMerc Research Seminar, March 2024

1 - Professor Huib Schippers, Dr Olcay Schippers and Professor Graham Welch at the IOE on the day of the seminar.

2 - Presentation cover slide presented by Dr Olcay Muslu-Schippers

Dr Olcay Muslu (O.Muslu-Schippers@kent.ac.uk) shared her vision and recent projects on rebuilding a sense of well-being, community and connection to place after the earthquake hit Hatay, Turkey, in February 2023. In this presentation, System Reset! Rebuilding Music Education Before and After the Earthquake in Hatay, Türkiye, Olcay guided us through understanding the system of music education in Türkiye, the effect on higher education after the 6th February earthquake, which includes universities switched back to distance learning in the earthquake zone, students were transferred to other provinces, adjustments in assessment and in attendance in the conservatory. how she set up an infrastructure that can help the survivors. She highlighted the importance of going back to the basics of what music is and means to the community and created a model of musical sustainability in Türkiye. Olcay also set up the NGO MIRAS Centre for Cultural Sustainability, in which she contributes to delivering classes, offering workshops, supporting musicians, and enabling industry professionals to “rebuild beyond bricks”  in the city. Please read more about Olcay's work on the MiRAS website HERE

3 - Presentation cover slide presented by Dr Ross Purves, Sandra Oberoi and Stephanie Hoi-Ying Chan

Dr Ross Purves (r.purves@ucl.ac.uk), Sandra Oberoi (sandra@harmonybangalore.com), and Stephanie Chan (stephanie-chan@ucl.ac.uk) shared their recent project on British colonisation. The presentation was titled, Two sides of a coin: The influence of the British Empire on music education in India and Hong Kong. In this presentation, Ross, Sandra and Stephanie shared their insights on the development of present music education in India and Hong Kong from a historical perspective and the subsequent impacts of British colonisation on music with documentary analysis. This presentation argues that the impacts of British colonisation in India and Hong Kong do not happen only during colonisation but also in the present time.

Music Video: Veyilodu Vilaiyadi by The Harmony Chorus

A Tamil folk song featuring original rap performances with konnakol highlighting the joys of a carefree childhood spent playing under the warm sun. 
Our message in this song is strong. We join our friends at Seeds of Aarey and Dhai Akshar in advocating for a green and clean Aarey Forest, also known as the lungs of Mumbai. 

Connect with The Harmony Chorus on Social Media
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/theharmonychorus/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/harmonybangalore/

Credits:
Directed and Arranged by: Sandra Oberoi
Produced by: Harmony - the music school
Original Rap Written and Performed by: Lil Abhi, Elijah, Shedwin
Translation: Rev Billy Graham, Elijah, Shedwin, Ramji Rajagopalan, Sandra Oberoi
Konakkol and Mridangam: Viveick Rajagopalan (Ta Dhom Project)
Original song credits: GV Prakash
Music: Ebenezer Moses John and David Finny
Mixing and Mastering: Deepak Cherian
Video, CG, Edits: Deepak Cherian 

The Harmony Chorus: Anezka Iris Sequeira, Anna Alphonsa Dominic, Aditi Adapa, Adya Nair, Diane A Charles, Dia Maheshwari, Esther Victor, Fiona Faith Steven, Hannah Shibu, Hayley Hope Harris, Janelle Dominica Terry, Johann Thomas Varghese, Kalhara RK Annookkaran, Maria Teresa Dominic, Mythri Amit Yelsangikar, Myra Isabel Chowdhury, Natalie Faith Harris, Nidhi Praveen, Nichelle Anand, PK Aishwarya Rajarajeshwari, Pushpaul Chaudhuri, Ritoja Tagore, Raksha Krishnaprasad, Rebecca Elizabeth Thomas, Ryan Joseph, Sanchia Saravana, Sheryl Mary Reji, Svara V Nair, Swathi Janardhanan, Tiana Esther Oberoi, Tiara Michelle Oberoi, Vivaan Joseph.
Dhai Akshar: Dhanshree, Divya, Roshni

Filmed at: Aarey Forest and Juhu Beach, Mumbai

No copyright is intended | All rights reserved for original content
#rap #tamilsong #harmony #trending #theharmonychorus #collab #harmonythemusicschool

Read Sandra's words:

Our latest music video with The Harmony Chorus, which I arranged and directed, is OUT NOW! We hope you enjoy our cover of this Tamil folksong with the addition of harmonies, original rap and konnakol! This is a project so close to our hearts as we join our young friends in advocating for a green and clean Aarey forest, known as the lungs of Mumbai. Please listen when you have a few moments. Thank you. 

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/AILNF0wjFY0?si=2QtlL8ZVdyjvqKZZ 

Contact: Sandra Oberoi (sandra@harmonybangalore.com

Recording: Cathedral Opera 'The Bruce' 

RAKHAT-BI ABDYSSAGIN
Cathedral Opera "THE BRUCE"
Libretto from John Barbour’s eponymous poem in Early Scots (c. 1375)

World Premiere in Glasgow Cathedral, Scotland, the United Kingdom
17th February 2024

Performed as part of the Scotland Tour dedicated to 750th anniversary of the birth of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots:
17.02.2024 - Glasgow Cathedral
21.02.2024 - St Giles' Cathedral Edinburgh
24.02.2024 - University of St Andrews, St Salvator's Chapel
03.03.2024 - Dunfermline Abbey

Rakhat-Bi Abdyssagin, Cathedral Opera 'The Bruce' (2023), World Premiere, Glasgow 17.02.2024

Watch Rakhat-Bi's Opera: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlcNqugIoh0

Contact: Rakhat-Bi Abdyssagin: rahatbiabd@mail.ru 

Newly Published: Rhythm and Reading: Connecting the Training of Musical Rhythm to the Development of Literacy Skills

Authors: J.Riikka Ahokas, Suvi Saarikallio, Graham Welch, Tinna Parviainen & Jukka Louhivuori

Abstract: This study investigated whether enhanced rhythm training improves literacy development and working memory performance in pupils in the first and second year of school. According to recent literature, we hypothesized that rhythm-focused training could be effective for children with reading difficulties. Pupils aged 6 to 8 years participated in the study, implemented as part of regular school music lessons. Children were divided into an experimental group that received enhanced rhythm training and a control group that received an equivalent amount of music instruction but without enhanced rhythm training. The intervention was delivered once a week for three months (13 lessons in total). The test battery included pre- and post-measures (0 and 3 months, respectively) with literacy and working memory assessment, and follow-ups (8 and 20 months) with literacy assessment. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in literacy skills after training. However, there was a moderate improvement in working memory performance for the experimental, but not the comparison group. In a post hoc analysis, we found an effect in a subgroup of lower starting-level readers, as the increase in literacy development of these students was statistically significant in the experimental, but not in the comparison group.


Reference: Ahokas, J.R., Saarikallio, S., Welch, G., Parviainen, T., & Louhivouri, J. (2024). Rhythm and Reading: Connecting the Training of Musical Rhythm to the Development of Literacy Skills. Early Childhood Education Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-024-01654-4

Contact: J. Riikka Ahokas (j.riikka.ahokas@jyu.fi

Recently published: Musical and cognitive abilities in children from disadvantaged backgrounds

Authors: Graça Boal Palheiros, Pedro Figueira, São Luís Castro

Abstract: Human beings are born with several abilities which are amenable to change. A growing number of studies have focused on the relations between musical and cognitive abilities but research with children from disadvantaged communities is scarce. This study explored the relations between musical and cognitive abilities in disadvantaged children. Participants were 169 children from deprived neighborhoods, attending the second year of primary education in public schools that do not offer music education. Children’s musical abilities (perception) were measured with the Melody, Rhythm, and Memory tests of Montreal Battery for the Evaluation of Musical Abilities and their cognitive abilities, with five WISC-III subtests (Similarities, Vocabulary, Cubes, Picture Arrangement, and Digits). Parental level of education was obtained from a questionnaire on the socio-economic status of children’s families. Results revealed (1) few and weak correlations between musical and cognitive abilities; (2) stronger correlations of Socioeconomic Status (SES) with cognitive than with musical abilities; (3) digit span predicts all musical abilities; 4) a clear factorial distinction between musical and cognitive abilities. Overall, results suggest that disadvantaged children’s musical and cognitive abilities, as measured by the present instruments, are partly independent regarding processing components.


Reference: Boal-Palheiros, G., Figueira, P., & Castro, S. L. (2022). Musical and cognitive abilities in children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Revista Electrónica de LEEME49, 85-100. https://doi.org/10.7203/LEEME.49.24089

Contact: Professor Graça Boal Palheiros (gbpalheiros@ese.ipp.pt)

Recently published: Music, drama, and social development in Portuguese children

Authors: Graça Boal Palheiros, Beatriz Ilari

Introduction: Social competence plays a fundamental role in children’s development, and in their functioning at school and in life. Social skills, as learned behaviors that allow children to positively interact with others, are important for success in both academic and peer-group settings. Children’s participation in collective music and other arts education has been associated with the development of social skills. However, different measures and diverse programs adopted in various studies make it difficult to contrast study findings. Additionally, research with children from low-income families remains scarce. The aim of this study was to examine the role of music and drama education programs in primary schools on the development of social skills of Portuguese children from disadvantaged communities. Both programs were carefully designed with performing, creating, and listening activities, and were delivered by specialist and experienced teachers/performers, who used active and participatory teaching strategies.


Reference: Boal-Palheiros, G., & Ilari, B. (2023). Music, drama, and social development in Portuguese children. Frontiers in Psychology14, 1093832. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1093832

Contact: Professor Graça Boal Palheiros (gbpalheiros@ese.ipp.pt)

Event: Narrative Inquiry & New-York Cheesecake

Read Eunice's words:

Thanks for the invitation from Dr Brian Irvine, a wonderful colleague at the Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE). I'll be sharing the gist of narrative inquiry I've learnt so far with some hands-on activities, plus a delicious New-York cheesecake! Feel free to drop by with a cup of tea or coffee, meet me and other colleagues there, enjoy the cake and more! 

Data & Dessert with CRAE presents

Narrative Inquiry & New-York Cheese Cake with Eunice Tang

Thursday 18th April

11 am, The Space

Level 4, Core B, IOE

Contact: Eunice Tang (eunice.tang@ucl.ac.uk

iMerc Research Seminar, April 2024

Speaker: Kate Laurence

Topic: A narrative study of veteran classroom music teachers’ professional learning

4 - Speaker: Kate Laurence

Speaker: Kate Laurence (k.laurence@ucl.ac.uk)

Kate Laurence is the Subject Course Leader for the UCL PGCE Music programme. She is responsible for the Initial Teacher Education (ITE) of classroom teachers across the secondary school age range.

Kate’s professional career has involved teaching in different contexts, including London schools, community settings and Higher Education. Prior to taking up her role at UCL, she was Director of Music at the St Marylebone School, later becoming Assistant Headteacher. During her school teaching career, Kate was awarded Advanced Skills Teacher status, a role that enabled her to support Heads of Music and develop large ensembles for young people in Local Authority secondary schools. 

Kate has broader experience in leading professional learning programmes and CPD for teachers in England and Wales. She has recently worked with universities and schools in Sweden.

Kate has particular interests in narrative research, teacher professional learning, and music education. Her PhD research explores the professional learning of veteran teachers through a narrative storytelling approach. 

Kate's abstract:

This study examines the professional learning of veteran school music teachers, based in English secondary schools, over the course of their careers.  

The research engaged three experienced music teachers in a narrative storytelling process throughout the period of an academic year. The analyses were co-constructed as part of an iterative meaning-making process between researcher and participant. Music teacher professional learning was examined in the past and present: firstly, through stories of the participants’ teaching careers, set against the historic backdrop of changes in the education landscape and, secondly, through the narrative storytelling process itself which appeared to stimulate and provoke further critical reflection.  

The research explores the three veteran music teachers’ act of storytelling to communicate and make sense of moments and events in their careers, including the way that literary devices and metaphors potentially amplified, subjugated or obscured meaning in their narratives.  

The research uncovers how common narratives from the wider music teaching community, such as professional isolation and subject distinctiveness, are rehearsed by music teachers to potentially retreat from more difficult areas of their work. The emergent data reveal the serendipitous and unplanned nature of professional learning, specifically how non-formal sites of learning might offer an alternative space for music specialist teachers to stimulate and address areas of their practice.   

Speaker: Zeinab El-Khateeb

Topic: The impact of a song-based approach on Early Language Development and Second Language Acquisition

5 - Zeinab's picture of the IOE Poster Conference, 14th March 2024

Speaker: Zeinab El-Khateeb (z.el-khateeb.18@ucl.ac.uk)

Zeinab's UCL Profile can be found HERE.

Higher education experiences

My current role is a Lecturer in Education (ITE) in the Department of Learning and Leadership. I also work as a Lecturer on the MA in Education, Department of Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment at the IOE, UCL. Previous to this, I have also worked at UCL as a Senior Teaching Fellow in Secondary MFL education. In addition, I was the course leader for SCITT/ PGCE secondary at Hull University, where I led and trained PGCE/ SCITT students and the whole of the secondary cohort for Hull, Yorkshire and Sheffield. In addition, I have also worked as a Lecturer in Secondary MFL education at Birmingham City University, where I teach, train, and supervise Secondary MFL students in the northeast of England. Prior to this, I worked as a Lecturer in Education and MFL (ITE) at Leeds Trinity University and London Metropolitan University. Similarly, I have worked as a Lecturer in MFL at Liverpool Hope University and Edge Hill University, as well as in Early Years, Primary, and Secondary education. I have also worked as a Lecturer on the MA in Education at Keele University.

Schools’ teaching and leading experiences

I have twenty-two years of experience leading, teaching, learning and assessing MFL in UK Secondary, Primary, sixth form, and Adult Education. In addition, I have also led the Early Years/foundation stage. I have taught core subjects in Secondary and Primary schools, such as Maths, English, and Science. I have also taught foundation subjects, such as History, Geography, RE, and Citizenship education.

Zeinab's abstract:

Much existing evidence has highlighted the potential benefits of the use of songs in early language development. However, to date, there has been no study which systematically explores the relationship between song-based learning in the context of second language acquisition (e.g., Ludke, 2014; Engh, 2013b; Conrad, 1991; Kanel, 1997; Lems, 2005). Therefore, this study aims to examine the current claim that songs are useful tools for learning a second language, although preliminary research suggests that teachers often see themselves as very busy and do not understand why a song-based EAL approach might be fruitful, nor undertake any follow-up assessment. This echoes Nuessel and Cicogna (1991) who stated that “whenever material is introduced into the second language curriculum, this subject matter must be tested to assess its worth as a valid pedagogical instrument" (p. 481). In addition, the need for the research also echoes comments in Early Years Education (2018) such as that there is a lack of understanding of the theoretical underpinnings and methodology to support such teaching pedagogy; there is a need for reform within curricula to provide teachers with critical skills, such as incorporating the use of songs within their teaching practice. At present, there is a lack of training and a lack of resources for the use of songs, and there is not any statutory requirement for such singing in the EYFS curriculum.

In Conversation with Dr Rebecca Moseley-Morgan

6 - Dr Rebecca Moseley-Morgan speaking at a conference about her work.

Dr Rebecca Moseley-Morgan recently passed her PhD viva at UCL. Her research investigates what interventions can maintain the functionality of the mature female voice. Here is the conversation with Becky about her doctoral experience.

1. Congratulations on passing your viva, Becky. I'm so happy for you. Can you tell us a bit more about yourself?

Yes, okay, so where to start. We could be here sometime because I'm very old now. Basically, I've always loved learning. I've been a lifetime learner. I loved school, which I guess is quite unusual these days, but for me, music and learning all started there. There was church music at school. So then, when I left school, I went to the Royal College of Music to study to be a singer, and my school was disappointed with me, which I think was often the thing that made me want to do more studying later in life. I think that the seed that they planted was still there. So anyway, I left school, went to the Royal College of Music, and studied there for six years, doing sort of undergraduate music stuff. Then, I was in an opera school for two years, and when I left, I went straight into working as an opera singer, mainly with touring companies like Opera 80, Glyndebourne, and Welsh National Opera. For a good fifteen years, I was working and travelling around, and—while I was working as an opera singer—I found a lot of the time.... once you're on the road, I got quite bored. So, this started my academic journey because I went to the Open University and did a BA in Arts. It was a modular degree that included music, literature, and history, just simply for fun because I needed something to do. Because when you're travelling around the country singing, if they don't need you to rehearse, you have a whole daytime until you do the show in the evening. And so it gets quite tedious. After that, I had my family, and this was really where my PhD study began because one of my children was seriously ill, and we'd lived in a hospital for 2 years, and then I took him home. He was very, very vulnerable to infection. So we had to basically live in a bubble, so that he was 3 years old, and his younger brother was one year old, and we were living at home in isolation.

And I needed something to occupy my brain. I wanted to get back to teaching, which I'd already started while I was pregnant. But I couldn't teach other children because children inevitably have all sorts of bugs and germs all the time. So I started teaching older adults and mainly women, and a lot of them were university professors, teachers, intelligent people, and they completely understood that they couldn't come in my house if they had a cold or anything like that, but at the same time, they also understood if I had a medical emergency with my eldest son, that they would be fine about that. So, we started working together with this strange kind of symbiotic relationship. I loved them coming because it was respite for me from caring for a very sick child, and they wanted to come to me because I was doing something with the voice that nobody else was doing, and at the time I didn't quite know what. But then, as my son started to get better, I started to think more clearly. I realised that I was onto something and started to look around to see; well, what happens with the ageing voice? What are people saying about it, and what should happen, and comparing that with what I was seeing. And so I began to see that the picture painted by the scientists was a little bit gloomy. And that there actually was very, very little research.

Apart from what happened in menopause, there really wasn't very much research there. It was basically voice scientists carrying out research with their colleagues, many of whom were male and were never singers. That was sort of what planted the research seed. And because I worked with a lot of university professors, they started telling me, ‘Well, Becky, you've got to research this for yourself.’ So I started this long journey of learning more about the voice and understanding the anatomy and physiology of the voice with courses largely through the British Voice Association. I worked with Mr. Declan Costello, the ENT surgeon. He taught me anatomy, just all sorts of people until eventually I kind of felt, ‘well, I'm ready to do a Master's’. It was difficult to find a university that would offer me what I wanted to do. I went back to the Open University, where I did my Master’s in musicology, and they allowed me to use the dissertation module to do the pilot study for my PhD. Because, prior to making that decision about what my dissertation should be about, I had met Graham, so I knew I was going to go on and do a PhD. And then the Open University were really good about allowing me, we decided we were going to look at the voice from the perspective of an organologist, which is the branch of musicology where you investigate the structure and components of a musical instrument, and how they function. So, that became my Master's dissertation working with Graham. So, it was all a very long, slow process. Really, I mean, this is kind of going over 25 years or more. You know this whole thing. So it's kind of been cooking in my head for a very long time.

'The whole doctoral journey has been intricately linked to my whole life story.'

2. How long have you been doing your PhD?

Yes. So, well in my mind, it seems to be 10 years, but that's also including the end of the Masters, doing it part-time. I'd signed up for six years because I couldn't do it any other way. But then I had to take an extension because my elderly mother and my mother-in-law both needed care at around the same time, and I lost them both within two months of each other. So, I'd had nearly a year out. And then we had Covid...and then I didn't actually ask for it, but the University just said I could have an extra two years if I wanted it. And I'd collected so much data! I thought I was going to take this time because it allowed me to analyse much more of the data.

But again, the whole doctoral journey has been intricately linked to my whole life story, really, because just as I was starting my PhD. In fact, the week I met Graham, my second husband had walked out on me, leaving me with three children to look after. And yeah, the studying just felt like a safe place to be. I just wanted to do that for me because life, outside of study, was such a mess at the time. And so I then met my current husband, my third husband, and, in fact when I completed my viva, I got home and told him the news, he said, ‘I have never known you not being a student. The entire time I have known you have been doing this PhD and you have been a student’. He said suddenly, ‘I'm no longer married to a student’. So, yes, but apart from that, it all fitted in quite nicely because I freelance with my music, with my voice, my studio and workshops and other things I do. It's really worked very well. I had quite a lot of study time, but it was always in patches and things, an hour here, an hour there. And once I got organised with that, it worked quite well, so wherever I was, I always made sure I had reading material, or a notebook or something. I could keep working on the data collection side of it for over four years. That worked very nicely because, again, I could fit this collection in amongst my students, so people could come and do their research fieldwork with me, or I was teaching, so that all tied in very nicely. I only live in Oxford, so getting up and down to London was relatively easy for the lectures I had to do in the early days and for getting up and down for a meeting with Graham and then, a bit later on in the process. I got a co-supervisor, Evangelos, and he helped me with all the statistical analysis.

It is an amazing journey, just learning, learning, learning all the time, and not just about the voice and your subject, but for me, because of the age I am, I had to learn so many computer skills and just all sorts of skills that I'd never had before.

'I've met some other amazing people along the way who have all helped, and that's been a special part of the journey.'

3. How did you feel about being a student?

Well. I'm excited. I've got ideas for things I want to do. I'm just getting used to a new normal. Because, I say, it's only a fortnight since my viva, and there's been a lot of celebrating going on for the first week. And now I'm just getting used to the fact that every spare minute, I don't have to be reading a paper or writing notes or something and then thinking ahead. The first thing I want to do is to start what Graham said to me is called ‘Salami slicing’ my thesis into individual papers for publication. And then just looking for opportunities for further research work. I really enjoy researching. I'm naturally a very nosy person and very curious. And so I really enjoyed doing the research and finding out, looking at things in a systematic way, just seeing how things work. I just really like that.

But taking it forward, one of the things I did in my PhD study was, I used acoustic software to analyse the voice on the basis that if I can hear something, then that's going to produce some acoustic signal which can be seen in the software. And that could then be used to think, ‘Right, if we're seeing that in the software that could mean XY or Z is happening in the voice, so that could be an aid to either singers or teachers in the future to do this’. What I found very useful about the process is that, as the singer gets older, there's a need to keep monitoring their voice where the voice is at, so that if you start to see the functionality decline, you can immediately start to target that area of the voice to try and rectify it, and the results of the PhD, the evidence there showed that a lot of areas of functionality could be improved. I think that's very important to take forward.

One of the other areas that was important was that it's not all about age-related changes. A lot goes on with people as they get older. So, anybody working with the older voice really needs to take a very holistic view and look at the whole person. What's happening in their life? What did they do in their careers? What sort of stresses are they under? Have they had any illness? Are they on medicine? All of these factors can impact on the voice. And a lot of things can make changes to the voice, and for a while it can decline in functionality and become worse. But it can get better. So it's not that the voice is just continually going to get worse as you get older. It may take a dip but with the right sort of training. It can come back up again. And it's just...it's very important for singers. The people I work with, their singing is their absolute lifeline, you know, when people get older, maybe their children have moved away, maybe they've lost a husband or wife or partner and they can be lonely. If they're singing in a choir or making music with a group of people, it's so good for them. So for a lot of reasons. I think it's important. The other things I want to do, I want to maybe repeat the same study I did using men because I did some work on men. But basically, there's differences between how the male and female voice age. So for the final part of the study I had to separate men out and just look at women, and I'd like to look at if the same sort of aging process occurs with different genres of singing.

What else do I want to do? Maybe have time just to relax and have a holiday? But just keep developing out of the tests I created for the study as they could become the basis for effectively targeting the muscles in the larynx that need to be worked to maintain the functionality. So, working on that sort of pedagogy for the older voice.

 

4. That’s amazing! Do you have any tips on doing the viva?

Ha-ha! Well, listen to the advice of your supervisors. This was a slightly odd one because I'd been at a very academic school. I'd been trained all my life how to do examinations, rereading past papers and trying to guess what sort of questions and things would come up. But I really had no idea about how to prepare for the viva, other than reading my thesis.

One thing that didn't worry me, which I'd read because I googled it and thought, what do people say about this, is that a lot of people were fearful of being in the same room with their examiners, but because I'd had the background of being an opera singer that actually didn't worry me because every job I'd ever had, I would have to go and do an audition and perform to people in the room, and see their faces, you know. So you know, if I hit a bum note, they'd be going, ‘Oh’, like this. So, you know, that didn't bother me. I think it was just I didn't really quite know what to do. I kept reading the thesis and making sure I really was on top of knowing exactly my way around what I'd said and where, and then I had a really good session with Graham and Evangelos, and they asked me lots of questions, and then Graham told me about making sure I put post-it notes. This is part of my viva. So, I just put notes and where to find it. They kept telling me to try not to say anything that you haven't said in the thesis, so I very much tried to do that. For the day of the exam, I went to London the day before and stayed in a hotel, so I was only a few minutes walk from the IoE. I made sure I had lots of snacks and food and things because my viva was about a quarter to 12. It was right across lunchtime. And so just I thought, I need to make sure I've got food, so I don't get light-headed, just little things like that. I was quite nervous on the day, just again because I didn't really know what to expect. And apart from the very first question when they asked me about the background to my research, I don't think there was a single question that any of us had predicted, and what was quite interesting was, instead of delving into detail into how I'd done my analysis or devised things, they actually took a very sort of macro view and just looked at the whole thing, which was quite interesting. After the first sort of few minutes, the nerves started to subside. I felt we had a nice conversation.

'If I'm getting in a real state about something, again, I close the books and say, ‘'Will this all matter in 10 years’ time? No, it won't. Will it matter in 5 years’ time? No, it won't. Will it matter in 5 minutes' time? Probably not.'' Just try to keep it in perspective because it does get quite stressful towards the end.'

5. How long was the viva?

Quite a long time, about two and a quarter hours. So yes, I was glad of the snacks. We did take a little break. And then I had to go out and wait with Graham, and then they called me back in and gave me the news.

 

6. What do you like most about the IOE, or what do you like the least?

It's difficult, really. I went to IOE because of Graham. I didn't really care what university it was I went to because he was one of the very few people really that could supervise me in this area, and then, obviously, getting Evangelos was a bonus as well with all his skill set. So it's really about the people there. The early core courses on the research methods were very good. I just think it's not terribly well set up for part-time students. So, we'd go in for the lectures at about 5 o'clock in the evening. And you'd arrive there from work, and the canteen had just shut. There was nowhere you could get a cup of tea. There was nowhere you could pick up food, so just little things like that they hadn't thought through what it was like being a part-timer coming in to do these lectures. And the building's not the greatest decision. It's not a picture postcard. But it did the job, and everything was there. The library was fantastic. The librarian was lovely actually, if ever you needed any help there, they were always really helpful. So that was the main other than that. There's not a lot of stuff I really use there. I come in to meet with Graham and Evangelos, and off I'd go again.

 

7. Sure. Do you have anything to say to our doctoral colleagues?

I just think… If you're curious and you've got a passion, just really go for it. Don't stop asking questions. My experience has been that everybody has been really, really helpful. Graham sent me to speak at a conference very early on in my PhD. That one was in Sweden, and since then, I have spoken at a number of different conferences. I went to PEVoC, Pan European Voice conference and everybody I met there, they were just so generous, you know. So, if I wanted to ask them a question, they would share their time and their expertise. And I love that about the academic community. That was special. I had a wonderful time actually out in Sweden just prior to finishing my thesis, working with Dr Johan Sundberg. He’s just an amazing, generous person. I've met some other amazing people along the way who have all helped, and that's been a special part of the journey. Just never give up, really, you can get there. Life can sometimes throw you a curve ball and get in the way, but just try and get on with it when you can.

 

8. Do you have any advice or mantra? How have you coped with turbulent times in the past ten years?

Take a deep breath if it's getting difficult. Take ten minutes out, try and do something relaxing, play the piano, sing a song, dig in the garden, clear your mind and come back to it, and it seems fresh. And the other thing I always do… If I'm getting in a real state about something, again, I close the books and say, ‘Will this all matter in 10 years’ time? No, it won't. Will it matter in 5 years’ time? No, it won't. Will it matter in 5 minutes' time? Probably not. Just try to keep it in perspective because it does get quite stressful towards the end. And it is hard work. And yeah, but it's worth it.

 

9. Yeah, thank you. I believe your work will matter in 10, 20, and 30 years’ time.

I do hope so. I really hope so.

Upcoming Research Seminar

Please mark your calendars for our next research seminar, which will be held in room 938 at the IOE and on Zoom on Thursday, 22nd May 2024, at 11 a.m. UK Time. We'll have more details soon! If you would like to share your work with us, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Contact Us

Visit us on the website at http://www.imerc.org 

Professor Graham Welch: graham.welch@ucl.ac.uk 

Professor Evangelos Himonides: e.himonides@ucl.ac.uk 

Ms Eunice Tang: eunice.tang@ucl.ac.uk