Voices in Practice: Advancing Music Research for Education, Wellbeing & Community

The University of the Highlands and Islands Music Research Hub presents its first research event, uniting researchers, practitioners, and educators to explore innovations in music research. This one-day event features specialised sessions on methodological advances, technology applications, wellbeing impacts, diversity initiatives, and community partnerships.
Participants will gain insights from both PhD candidates and experienced supervisors, engage with renowned composers and producers showcasing Ableton technology innovations, and explore music's role in enhancing wellbeing across diverse contexts.
The event will examine diversity, inclusion, and access in music education and industry, analysing socioeconomic barriers and technological solutions, while exploring sustainable musical communities through educational-community partnerships.
There will be practical workshops on integrating Ableton Live into classrooms and discussions on music technology access in Scottish schools, addressing both pedagogical applications and systemic challenges to ensure equitable student engagement.
This event will foster critical engagement with music research's multifaceted dimensions while promoting interdisciplinary dialogue. Creating a forum for academic discourse, collaborative inquiry, and analytical debate, it will facilitate professional networking and knowledge exchange across fields. We welcome music researchers, practicing musicians, educators, students, industry professionals, representatives from music organisations, scholars from adjacent disciplines, and those seeking interdisciplinary partnerships. By bringing these diverse perspectives together, we aim to enrich the theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches underpinning contemporary music research.

[ When

9.00AM Fri 13 June 2025
to
5.30PM Fri 13 June 2025

o Where

Goodlyburn Building, UHI Perth
Goodlyburn Building,
UHI Perth
Crieff Rd,
Perth
PH1 2NX

8 Remote access

Not available

£ Cost

Free

É Contact

Gareth Whitehead
email: gareth.whitehead.perth@uhi.ac.uk

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Event Schedule

Room: Goodlyburn Theatre (unless otherwise indicated)

9:10 AM: Welcome and Introductions

9:20 AM - 10:40 AM: Navigating the Frontier: Methodological Innovations and Practical Challenges in Contemporary Music Practice Research

Speakers: Corin Anderson, Renée Coulombe, Scott McLaughlin, Jennifer England, Justyna Jablonska-Edmonds

Moderator: Renée Coulombe

Objectives: This session brings together diverse voices from PhD candidates to experienced supervisors to examine methodological innovations and practical challenges in music practice research. Participants will gain practical understanding of assessment criteria, approaches to capturing musical experiences, and frameworks for communicating research value to funding bodies.

10:50 AM - 11:30 AM: Innovation in Contemporary Music Production: In conversation with Laura Lee and Charlotte Hatherley

Speakers: Laura Lee and Charlotte Hatherley

Moderator: Seán McLaughlin

Objectives: This in-depth dialogue with acclaimed music practitioners explores their pioneering applications of Ableton technology in digital composition and performance contexts. The interview will examine their conceptual frameworks, technical processes, and aesthetic philosophies that have positioned them at the forefront of contemporary music practice.

11:40 AM - 12:40 PM: Music and Wellbeing: Research Perspectives

Speakers: Brian D'Souza, Gavin Lawson, Menchie Leung, Carl Hayden Smith

Moderator: Lesley Mickel

Objectives: This session explores the multifaceted relationship between music and wellbeing across diverse contexts. Presentations will examine bidirectional impacts between music practice and practitioner wellbeing, evaluate music-based therapeutic interventions, and investigate neurological mechanisms underlying music's emotional effects.

11:40 AM - 12:40 PM (Room 515): Innovative Classroom Engagement through Ableton Live

Speaker: James Tuck

Objectives: This workshop demonstrates how James Tuck utilises Ableton Live to create engaging and interactive music lessons that foster creativity and enhance learning outcomes for school pupils. Participants will receive practical demonstrations of classroom activities and resources for implementing similar approaches in their own educational settings.

Lunch Break

1:20 PM - 2:10 PM (Room 503/504): Evaluating Access and Support for Music Technology in Scottish Schools

Objectives: This session engages music educators to gather insights on the current state of access to music technology in Scottish schools. The discussion focuses on identifying existing resources, understanding influencing factors, determining preferred tools, and exploring support needed from schools and awarding bodies to enhance access.

2:20 PM - 3:40 PM: Diversity, Inclusion, and Widening Access in Music Education

Speakers: Anita Mackenzie, James Tuck, Simon Bradley and Seán McLaughlin,

Moderator: Vicky Gray

Objectives: This session critically examines the interplay between socio-economic factors, educational experiences, and professional pathways within the music industry while exploring how technologies can democratise music education. The discussion draws on autoethnographic research, decolonial frameworks, and case studies to propose practical strategies for developing more equitable music education and professional landscapes.

3:50 PM - 4:50 PM: Building Sustainable Musical Communities Through Partnerships and Engagement

Speakers: Pauline Black, Chris Duddy, Carolann Burns

Moderator: Pauline Black

Objectives: This session explores how strategic collaborations between educational institutions and community organisations can foster sustained musical participation across diverse populations and life stages. Through analysis of exemplary case studies and emerging practices, the discussion provides practical approaches to creating more inclusive, intergenerational, and environmentally conscious musical ecosystems.

5:00 PM: Closing Thoughts

Speaker Profiles

Pauline Black

UHI Profile

Carol Ann Burns

Brian D'Souza

Chris Duddy

Four Track Nights YouTube

https://sites.google.com/view/4tn/home

Charlotte Hatherley

Gavin Lawson

Audyssey Ave