Join Our 2026 Research Study Groups!

The Research Study Groups are interactive and dynamic groups intended for people interested in research and its applications to teaching and performing. The groups will meet once a month between January and June. Each group will be moderated and guided by researchers and teachers Charlene Ryan, Cynthia Stephens-Himonides, and Margaret Young.

Participants can choose between two interest tracks:

Research-informed teaching and performing. This track is intended for teachers, pianists and students who want to explore reflective practices in teaching and performance. These groups will introduce and discuss existing research and its potential applications, with the goal of helping participants apply that research, and approach their teaching or performing with an inquiry-based mindset.

Research project incubator. The goal of this track is to offer mentoring, growth opportunities and collaboration opportunities to teachers, students, young professionals and emerging scholars interested in developing research projects. The discussion will focus on creating an effective research question, best ways to approach existing literature, choosing appropriate methodologies, collecting and analyzing data, and writing and submitting manuscripts and presentation/poster proposals. This track is intended for people with research interest, those with research ideas/questions, and researchers engaged in projects in early stages. Space is limited.

To register for these study groups, please fill out the following form by November 30, 2025.

Facilitators:

Charlene Ryan

Dr. Charlene Ryan is an Associate Professor at Toronto Metropolitan University. With a background in piano pedagogy and music education, her research focuses on the experience and development of music performance anxiety in children and adolescents. Her work has been published in journals such as Psychology of Music, Musicae Scientiae, Music and Science, International Journal of Stress Management, Journal of Research in Music Education, and Medical Problems of Performing Artists, among others. She has published research-to-practice articles in a variety of teacher-focused journals, and her children's books, Hannabelle's

Butterflies and Katherine Lost, consolidate her research findings into practical applications for

children.

Cynthia Stephens-Himonides

Dr. Cynthia Stephens-Himonides teaches at Kingston University in London, UK. Dr. Himonides' background in higher education has been as a teacher and researcher specializing in instrumental music teaching and learning, particularly the affordances of group teaching and learning in relation to accessibility and inclusion. Her current research examines teacher identity and the use of technology in music teaching and learning, as well as practices of expert pedagogues' use of technology. Her interest in inclusive teaching practices is reflected in ongoing projects which have brought together her department's Gamelan Ensemble and synthesiser lab with the Kingston community.

Margaret Young

Dr. Margaret Young is a professor in the School of Music at The Ohio State University at Lima where she serves as the dean and director for the campus. Her primary research aims include exploring the efficacy of technology use in piano instruction and identifying piano skills utilized by professional musicians. Her research has been published and presented in national and international settings.

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The Frances Clark Center | P.O. 651 | Kingston , NJ 08528-0651 US

Fwd: Invitation to share short survey study with students

Dear colleagues and friends

I hope this message finds you well.

I am reaching out because we are conducting a new research study exploring the relationship between music, bodily movement, and emotional experience, and we would greatly appreciate your support in circulating this opportunity to students.

The study aims to investigate how physical engagement, movement, dance or even the urge to move, influences emotional experience when listening to music. The study is open to anyone with an interest in music and we are particularly interested in building a diverse, international dataset. Participants are asked to complete a short, anonymous online survey comprising both open and closed questions. The survey takes approximately 20-25 minutes to complete.

Take part here

(Attached a QR code too)

We would be grateful if you could take part and/or share this invitation with your students and wider networks :)

With many thanks and best wishes,
Andrea

Dr Andrea Schiavio (he/him/his)

Senior Lecturer

Principal Investigator of ERC Synergy Project 101167101 - REM@KE

Past President of the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music - ESCOM

School of Arts and Creative Technologies

University of York, UK

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