Welcome to our first post as the Singing in Balance Network! We thought that you might want to know a little bit more about us. Find out about our team below:
Bruna Francisco Martins, PhD student at the University of Leeds
I am a postgraduate researcher working within the School of Music at the University of Leeds. My doctoral research explores the socio-musical factors that shapes the experiences of members of choirs affected by homelessness. The project is funded by the White Rose College of the Arts and Humanities and is a partnership with the Choir With No Name, an organisation of choirs in the UK for people affected by homelessness.
Research interests - My primary area of interest is in arts, music and wellbeing. Specifically, I am interested in the impact of engagement with artistic activities on people’s physical and mental wellbeing. I am also interested in the applications of arts-based and participatory methods. I have been involved in the following research projects:
I am a postgraduate researcher working within the School of Music at the University of Leeds. My doctoral research explores the socio-musical factors that shapes the experiences of members of choirs affected by homelessness. The project is funded by the White Rose College of the Arts and Humanities and is a partnership with the Choir With No Name, an organisation of choirs in the UK for people affected by homelessness.
Research interests - My primary area of interest is in arts, music and wellbeing. Specifically, I am interested in the impact of engagement with artistic activities on people’s physical and mental wellbeing. I am also interested in the applications of arts-based and participatory methods. I have been involved in the following research projects:
Dr. Freya Bailes, lecturer at the University of Leeds
I joined the University of Leeds in 2015, pursuing my interests in the under-explored links between mental imagery and creativity in music, combining my research experience in experimental psychology with my education and insight as a musician. I am an oboist with a particular enjoyment of orchestral and chamber music performance.
Prior appointments include Lecturer in Music at the University of Hull (2012–15), and Senior Research Fellow at the MARCS Institute at the University of Western Sydney, where I collaborated with Professor Roger Dean on research into the perception and emotional expression of contemporary music, and the role of leadership in musical improvisation. This research drew on my previous post-doctoral experience at the L.E.A.D. (Universite de Bourgogne), the C.S.M.L. (Ohio State University), and the Sonic Communications Research Group (University of Canberra).
My doctoral thesis 'Musical Imagery: Hearing and Imagining Music' explored the nature and prevalence of musical imagery (University of Sheffield). Years later, and I'm still fascinated by the phenomenon of imagining music in the mind's ear, having guest edited a special issue on the topic for the journal Psychomusicology: Music, Mind and Brain (2015). More recent work examines the relationship between imagining music and different aspects of wellbeing.
- Music for Healthy Lives: Research and Practice
Network - https://musicforhealthylives.org/
- Music Psychology @ Leeds: https://music-psych.leeds.ac.uk/
I studied music as an undergraduate and music psychology postgraduate at the University of Sheffield and finished my PhD in January 2005. I was appointed to the staff at Leeds in 2005 and have previously been Head of the School of Music (2016–2021).
I am currently the Faculty Lead for Employability, Opportunity and Ambition (Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures). I have published book chapters and journal articles focusing on musical development, musical identities, the transition between higher education and performance/non-performance professions, audience participation in live events, and the benefits of music technology in music therapy.
I am currently a University Student Education Fellow and am leading projects which explore student perceptions of, and engagement with, their employability.
I am an active performer and am principal clarinet with Hallam Sinfonia, and play baritone saxophone with Saxsational saxophone quartet.
Emily Cooper, PhD student at the University of Sheffield
My name is Emily Cooper and I am a PhD Researcher at the University of Sheffield, UK. I came to Sheffield in 2018 for my Music Undergraduate and stayed for the Psychology of Music Masters course which I graduated from in 2022 before starting my PhD in October 2023. My PhD broadly explores the uses and potential benefits of singing for people with respiratory health conditions. Respiratory disease affects one in five people and is the third biggest cause of death in England (NHS England). There is increasing support for using breathing and singing techniques to help physical symptoms such as breathlessness and chest tightness. By using proper breathing techniques, people with physical symptoms of respiratory illness then have the correct support to aid them in improving their breathing. At the moment I am attending and researching some group singing sessions for people with chronic long term health conditions including long covid, asthma, COPD and bronchiectasis. This is a really positive experience for all involved and we are already getting some encouraging feedback from participants saying the sessions are helping them massively both mentally and physically. I look forward to what is to come!
My name is Emily Cooper and I am a PhD Researcher at the University of Sheffield, UK. I came to Sheffield in 2018 for my Music Undergraduate and stayed for the Psychology of Music Masters course which I graduated from in 2022 before starting my PhD in October 2023. My PhD broadly explores the uses and potential benefits of singing for people with respiratory health conditions. Respiratory disease affects one in five people and is the third biggest cause of death in England (NHS England). There is increasing support for using breathing and singing techniques to help physical symptoms such as breathlessness and chest tightness. By using proper breathing techniques, people with physical symptoms of respiratory illness then have the correct support to aid them in improving their breathing. At the moment I am attending and researching some group singing sessions for people with chronic long term health conditions including long covid, asthma, COPD and bronchiectasis. This is a really positive experience for all involved and we are already getting some encouraging feedback from participants saying the sessions are helping them massively both mentally and physically. I look forward to what is to come!
Professor Renee Timmers, lecturer at the University of Sheffield
My first degree was in Musicology (MA), which I studied in Amsterdam. Thereafter, I pursued a PhD in Psychology (Social Sciences) at the Radboud University Nijmegen. I was involved in collaborative research combining perspectives and methods from psychology, computer science and music theory to investigate perception and cognition of music. My main focus was on (cognitive) rules that underlie the expressive timing of music, but also the freedom that performers have to perform music expressively and creatively within these rules.
After my PhD, I was a postdoctoral researcher for six years at institutes in Italy (University of Genoa), Austria (OEFAI), the UK (Kings College London), the Netherlands (Radboud University Nijmegen) and the USA (Northwestern University). I worked at departments of music, psychology and computer science gaining relevant cross-disciplinary experience. My research focused on the communication of emotions through music performance, including a comparison of emotional expression in early and later recordings of Schubert songs, and the development of automated visual feedback on expressive performance.
In Sheffield, I teach Psychology of Music at UG and PG level, direct the MAs in Psychology of Music, and direct the research centre ‘Music Mind Machine in Sheffield’. The centre promotes collaboration and exchange across disciplines and between people with shared interests in music cognition, including students and staff. I regularly organise events within the context of the research centre and beyond, including conferences, seminars and workshops.
With my colleagues, I am exploring new conference formats that promote geographical inclusivity of people at a lower financial and ecological cost, by combining live and virtual participation. I have been co-editor of Empirical Musicology Review, associate editor of Psychomusicology: Music, Mind & Brain, and served on the editorial board of several journals including Psychology of Music and Journal of New Music Research. I have interrupted these editorial duties to serve as president of ESCOM from 2019-2021.
My first degree was in Musicology (MA), which I studied in Amsterdam. Thereafter, I pursued a PhD in Psychology (Social Sciences) at the Radboud University Nijmegen. I was involved in collaborative research combining perspectives and methods from psychology, computer science and music theory to investigate perception and cognition of music. My main focus was on (cognitive) rules that underlie the expressive timing of music, but also the freedom that performers have to perform music expressively and creatively within these rules.
After my PhD, I was a postdoctoral researcher for six years at institutes in Italy (University of Genoa), Austria (OEFAI), the UK (Kings College London), the Netherlands (Radboud University Nijmegen) and the USA (Northwestern University). I worked at departments of music, psychology and computer science gaining relevant cross-disciplinary experience. My research focused on the communication of emotions through music performance, including a comparison of emotional expression in early and later recordings of Schubert songs, and the development of automated visual feedback on expressive performance.
In Sheffield, I teach Psychology of Music at UG and PG level, direct the MAs in Psychology of Music, and direct the research centre ‘Music Mind Machine in Sheffield’. The centre promotes collaboration and exchange across disciplines and between people with shared interests in music cognition, including students and staff. I regularly organise events within the context of the research centre and beyond, including conferences, seminars and workshops.
With my colleagues, I am exploring new conference formats that promote geographical inclusivity of people at a lower financial and ecological cost, by combining live and virtual participation. I have been co-editor of Empirical Musicology Review, associate editor of Psychomusicology: Music, Mind & Brain, and served on the editorial board of several journals including Psychology of Music and Journal of New Music Research. I have interrupted these editorial duties to serve as president of ESCOM from 2019-2021.
Dr. Michael Bonshor, lecturer at the University of Sheffield
Michael Bonshor is Course Director of the MA in Music Psychology in Education, Performance and Wellbeing at the University of Sheffield. He is also a lecturer on the MA in Music Education at University College London, and on performance degree courses at Leeds Conservatoire where he is Professor of Voice, Wellbeing and Performance Psychology. His research interests include singing and conducting, music and wellbeing, group dynamics in musical ensembles, performance anxiety management and confidence building for performers.
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9220-3830
Michael Bonshor is Course Director of the MA in Music Psychology in Education, Performance and Wellbeing at the University of Sheffield. He is also a lecturer on the MA in Music Education at University College London, and on performance degree courses at Leeds Conservatoire where he is Professor of Voice, Wellbeing and Performance Psychology. His research interests include singing and conducting, music and wellbeing, group dynamics in musical ensembles, performance anxiety management and confidence building for performers.
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9220-3830
Dana L. C. Greaves, PhD student at the University of York
Dana L. C. Greaves (she/her) is a PhD student who joined the AudioLab in October, 2023. She graduated from the University of Leeds in 2023 where she completed her MA in Music Psychology and holds a BA in Jazz and Contemporary Popular Music (Vocal Performance Major) from MacEwan University in her hometown of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. She is grateful to be funded by the AHRC (Arts and Humanities Research Council) through WRoCAH (White Rose College of the Arts and Humanities). Currently, her research is on the functions of singing and community building in group singing interventions through using VR group singing technology to isolate the musical aspects of this experience. Her previous research has focused on gendered experiences in music, anger processing and mood/affect regulation, personality and identity, aesthetics in music, and social psychology.
Outside of the lab, she has worked as a professional gigging and recording musician for a decade and loves to play video games and Dungeons and Dragons.
Dana L. C. Greaves (she/her) is a PhD student who joined the AudioLab in October, 2023. She graduated from the University of Leeds in 2023 where she completed her MA in Music Psychology and holds a BA in Jazz and Contemporary Popular Music (Vocal Performance Major) from MacEwan University in her hometown of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. She is grateful to be funded by the AHRC (Arts and Humanities Research Council) through WRoCAH (White Rose College of the Arts and Humanities). Currently, her research is on the functions of singing and community building in group singing interventions through using VR group singing technology to isolate the musical aspects of this experience. Her previous research has focused on gendered experiences in music, anger processing and mood/affect regulation, personality and identity, aesthetics in music, and social psychology.
Outside of the lab, she has worked as a professional gigging and recording musician for a decade and loves to play video games and Dungeons and Dragons.
Dr. Helena Daffern, lecturer at the University of York
Helena Daffern is currently a Professor in Music Technology in the Department of Electronic Engineering at the University of York. She received a BA (Hons.) degree in music, an M.A. degree in music, and the PhD in music technology, all from the University of York, UK, in 2004, 2005, and 2009. She went on to complete training as a classical singer at Trinity College of Music and worked in London as a singer and teacher before returning to York. Her research utilises interdisciplinary approaches to investigate voice science and acoustics, particularly singing performance, vocal pedagogy, choral singing and singing for health and wellbeing. Recent projects explore the potential of virtual reality to improve access to group singing activities and as a tool for singing performance research.
Helena Daffern is currently a Professor in Music Technology in the Department of Electronic Engineering at the University of York. She received a BA (Hons.) degree in music, an M.A. degree in music, and the PhD in music technology, all from the University of York, UK, in 2004, 2005, and 2009. She went on to complete training as a classical singer at Trinity College of Music and worked in London as a singer and teacher before returning to York. Her research utilises interdisciplinary approaches to investigate voice science and acoustics, particularly singing performance, vocal pedagogy, choral singing and singing for health and wellbeing. Recent projects explore the potential of virtual reality to improve access to group singing activities and as a tool for singing performance research.
Dr. Mimi O'Neill, lecturer at the University of York
Mimi is a Music Psychologist, working across the School of Arts and Creative Technologies (University of York) and the School of Creative Arts (University of Lincoln). Her research interest is music psychology; more specifically, music and emotion, empathy, intra-audience effects, quantitative data collection and analysis, and the systematic study of music. Mimi's recent research considered the social or collective experience of live, Western art music concerts. She is also working on projects looking at social prescribing in Lincolnshire, and the ability of music to act as a social agent in solitary music listening experiences.
Mimi is a Music Psychologist, working across the School of Arts and Creative Technologies (University of York) and the School of Creative Arts (University of Lincoln). Her research interest is music psychology; more specifically, music and emotion, empathy, intra-audience effects, quantitative data collection and analysis, and the systematic study of music. Mimi's recent research considered the social or collective experience of live, Western art music concerts. She is also working on projects looking at social prescribing in Lincolnshire, and the ability of music to act as a social agent in solitary music listening experiences.
Mir Jansen, Arts Coordinator at the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
I am the arts coordinator at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. I co-design and develop creative interventions for patient groups, often in response to requests from clinical experts. My main interest is to embed creative health into the NHS hospital system by collating evidence that keeping people socially connected and creatively engaged will support people’s wellbeing in the community.
My background is in visual arts but at our Trust I have worked with musicians, choreographers, poets, crafts people and composers who have worked with people with a specific medical conditions, often over long periods of time. My work with the University of Sheffield’s Department for Music started in 2018 with a project for people with hearing impairment, with input from Dr Harriet Crook, Organisational Lead for Healthcare Science in ENT and Professor Renee Timmers. Since then we have worked with people with voice box issues (Inducible Laryngeal Obstruction) that involved MA student Emily Cooper who is now working with us on her PhD to see how singing can support people with chronic fatigues and respiratory issues.
I am the arts coordinator at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. I co-design and develop creative interventions for patient groups, often in response to requests from clinical experts. My main interest is to embed creative health into the NHS hospital system by collating evidence that keeping people socially connected and creatively engaged will support people’s wellbeing in the community.
My background is in visual arts but at our Trust I have worked with musicians, choreographers, poets, crafts people and composers who have worked with people with a specific medical conditions, often over long periods of time. My work with the University of Sheffield’s Department for Music started in 2018 with a project for people with hearing impairment, with input from Dr Harriet Crook, Organisational Lead for Healthcare Science in ENT and Professor Renee Timmers. Since then we have worked with people with voice box issues (Inducible Laryngeal Obstruction) that involved MA student Emily Cooper who is now working with us on her PhD to see how singing can support people with chronic fatigues and respiratory issues.
Kate Wareham, CEO of the Choir With No Name
Kate is Chief Executive of The Choir with No Name. The Choir with No Name is a network of choirs founded on the premise that singing makes you feel good; it distracts you from all the nonsense in life and helps you to build confidence, skills and genuine, long-lasting friendships. Choir members are people who have experienced homelessness, or who are simply going through a tough time in their lives. We aim to help members to build their confidence and skills, and make genuine lifelong friendships, so that they are in a better position to tackle the other challenges in their lives and move away from homelessness in the long-term. Prior to the Choir with No Name, Kate has worked in organisational leadership positions for organisations such as Yorkshire Dance and Orchestras for All, and within fundraising management at organisations such as Depaul UK, The Children’s Society, Home-Start and George House Trust. Kate is completing a PhD at the University of Sheffield which is exploring the music listening practices of young people aged 16-25 living in temporary accommodation.
Kate is Chief Executive of The Choir with No Name. The Choir with No Name is a network of choirs founded on the premise that singing makes you feel good; it distracts you from all the nonsense in life and helps you to build confidence, skills and genuine, long-lasting friendships. Choir members are people who have experienced homelessness, or who are simply going through a tough time in their lives. We aim to help members to build their confidence and skills, and make genuine lifelong friendships, so that they are in a better position to tackle the other challenges in their lives and move away from homelessness in the long-term. Prior to the Choir with No Name, Kate has worked in organisational leadership positions for organisations such as Yorkshire Dance and Orchestras for All, and within fundraising management at organisations such as Depaul UK, The Children’s Society, Home-Start and George House Trust. Kate is completing a PhD at the University of Sheffield which is exploring the music listening practices of young people aged 16-25 living in temporary accommodation.
Emma Baylin, Director of Shared Harmonies
Emma is the founder and director of Shared Harmonies and a highly skilled facilitator and trainer. She is passionate about sharing the amazing benefits of singing with others, especially with those who believe they can’t sing! She specialises in delivering our corporate services and working with people with long term health conditions, poor mental health or experiences of trauma.
Emma is the founder and director of Shared Harmonies and a highly skilled facilitator and trainer. She is passionate about sharing the amazing benefits of singing with others, especially with those who believe they can’t sing! She specialises in delivering our corporate services and working with people with long term health conditions, poor mental health or experiences of trauma.
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