Making Music Work: Sustainable Portfolio Careers for Australian Musicians. This project plans to explore the conditions and strategies needed for musicians to sustain successful portfolio careers. Most musicians have ‘portfolio careers’, combining aspects of performance, recording, creation, music direction, teaching, community activities, health, retail and a presence in online environments. This phenomenon — often across music genres — is widespread but not well understood. The project involve ....Making Music Work: Sustainable Portfolio Careers for Australian Musicians. This project plans to explore the conditions and strategies needed for musicians to sustain successful portfolio careers. Most musicians have ‘portfolio careers’, combining aspects of performance, recording, creation, music direction, teaching, community activities, health, retail and a presence in online environments. This phenomenon — often across music genres — is widespread but not well understood. The project involves surveys and 12 in-depth case studies of individual musicians or ensembles that will aim to identify key success factors and obstacles. This information is intended to inform opportunities for training, development and support.Read moreRead less
The role of First Nations’ music as a determinant of health . This project aims to track how First Nations' music and musicians are shaped by, and in turn may shape, powerful social determinants of health in Australia. That knowledge will be used to generate new models and frameworks for health promotion and arts-health policy and practice internationally. The project is significant because it responds to calls for health approaches that are strength based, First Nations-led, and culturally secu ....The role of First Nations’ music as a determinant of health . This project aims to track how First Nations' music and musicians are shaped by, and in turn may shape, powerful social determinants of health in Australia. That knowledge will be used to generate new models and frameworks for health promotion and arts-health policy and practice internationally. The project is significant because it responds to calls for health approaches that are strength based, First Nations-led, and culturally secure. Expected outcomes include: new models of First Nations' social and cultural health determinants; new tools to promote health; international research partnerships; and researcher and higher degree opportunities. Benefits include new tools for promoting First Nations' health and music development.Read moreRead less
Restoring on-Country performance: song, language and south coast landscapes. This project aims to investigate relationships between place, people and endangered performance traditions in the south coast region of Western Australia. For the first time, it will bring together work on archival song and language material, ecological readings of landscape and Indigenous community expertise to extend and enhance knowledge of critically endangered Nyungar songlines. Expected outcomes include increased ....Restoring on-Country performance: song, language and south coast landscapes. This project aims to investigate relationships between place, people and endangered performance traditions in the south coast region of Western Australia. For the first time, it will bring together work on archival song and language material, ecological readings of landscape and Indigenous community expertise to extend and enhance knowledge of critically endangered Nyungar songlines. Expected outcomes include increased community capacity to develop, maintain and share a place-based performance repertoire and the potential to nourish social cohesion, strengthen connection to Country and aid re-interpretation of the landscape. This should provide benefits to Indigenous wellbeing, environmental understanding and processes of reconciliation.Read moreRead less
Signature pedagogies for creative collaboration: Lessons for and from music. This project aims to develop a model of the signature pedagogies and environmental supports that foster the 21st century skills of creativity, innovation, collaboration and cooperation. The project's significance lies in its unique focus on pedagogies of expert creative collaborative practice in four internationally renowned chamber music training environments. These are characterised by individual risk in performance, ....Signature pedagogies for creative collaboration: Lessons for and from music. This project aims to develop a model of the signature pedagogies and environmental supports that foster the 21st century skills of creativity, innovation, collaboration and cooperation. The project's significance lies in its unique focus on pedagogies of expert creative collaborative practice in four internationally renowned chamber music training environments. These are characterised by individual risk in performance, intensified need for collaborative exchange, and the capacity to juxtapose individual accountability within collaborative practices. Expected outcomes and benefits of the project include a model that has translational application and impact for those professions that rely on generating new knowledge in collaborative settings.Read moreRead less
Physical musicality: Optimising lived experience among older adults . The aim of this project is to investigate how music-supported exercise, called physical musicality (PM), can promote wellbeing, quality of life, and cognitive-motor function in older adults, beyond the benefits of exercise or music listening alone. To achieve this aim, we will (a) conduct randomised control trials on PM programs; (b) isolate the ingredients and mechanisms underlying the benefits of PM; and (c) design culturall ....Physical musicality: Optimising lived experience among older adults . The aim of this project is to investigate how music-supported exercise, called physical musicality (PM), can promote wellbeing, quality of life, and cognitive-motor function in older adults, beyond the benefits of exercise or music listening alone. To achieve this aim, we will (a) conduct randomised control trials on PM programs; (b) isolate the ingredients and mechanisms underlying the benefits of PM; and (c) design culturally appropriate programs that optimise wellbeing and cognitive-motor function for older adults. Our research will reveal simple, non-medical steps that all adults of advancing age can take to maintain their wellbeing and cognitive functions so they can lead productive and successful lives into older age. Read moreRead less
Social cohesion and resilience through intercultural music engagement. This project aims to identify, evaluate and develop theoretical and practical ways in which intercultural music engagement can facilitate social cohesion and enhance community resilience and intercultural empathy. There is growing evidence that music is a powerful stimulus for wellbeing and interpersonal connection and it is increasingly applied to promote intercultural understanding. This project will use detailed observatio ....Social cohesion and resilience through intercultural music engagement. This project aims to identify, evaluate and develop theoretical and practical ways in which intercultural music engagement can facilitate social cohesion and enhance community resilience and intercultural empathy. There is growing evidence that music is a powerful stimulus for wellbeing and interpersonal connection and it is increasingly applied to promote intercultural understanding. This project will use detailed observational, participatory and experimental strategies to elucidate the psychosocial processes underpinning intercultural music engagement, isolating variables that promote social cohesion. The project will develop best practice guidelines for organisations seeking to use cultural exposure and interaction to promote positive multicultural experiences.Read moreRead less
The shock of the old: Rediscovering the sounds of bel canto 1700-1900. Bel canto—beautiful singing—describes a forgotten tradition (1700–1900), epitomising clear communication of expression and meaning of text. This project aims to generate new research-based knowledge of bel canto sound vocabulary, music, and history through implementation of a multi-modal method—working with an international community of singers—to produce multi-faceted outputs that inform future scholarship and creativity in ....The shock of the old: Rediscovering the sounds of bel canto 1700-1900. Bel canto—beautiful singing—describes a forgotten tradition (1700–1900), epitomising clear communication of expression and meaning of text. This project aims to generate new research-based knowledge of bel canto sound vocabulary, music, and history through implementation of a multi-modal method—working with an international community of singers—to produce multi-faceted outputs that inform future scholarship and creativity in singing. Modern classical singing fails to communicate the meaning of the text in bel canto repertory. Expected outcomes are revitalisation of global practices to produce classical singers better equipped to convey the text, increasing audience engagement, and the sustainability of the classical music industry.Read moreRead less
Meaningfully communicating the value of arts and culture through reporting. This project aims to investigate how the value of cultural organisations and activities can be effectively communicated in official reporting processes. It aims to change the ways culture’s value is publicly determined by researching two innovative, socially responsible reporting frameworks, thus creating a dedicated framework for culture. Expected outcomes include new on-line reporting processes, principles and forms fo ....Meaningfully communicating the value of arts and culture through reporting. This project aims to investigate how the value of cultural organisations and activities can be effectively communicated in official reporting processes. It aims to change the ways culture’s value is publicly determined by researching two innovative, socially responsible reporting frameworks, thus creating a dedicated framework for culture. Expected outcomes include new on-line reporting processes, principles and forms for cultural practitioners and funding agencies, and enhanced understanding in both policy and cultural domains of meaningful reporting practices. The project will transform the way artists and cultural organisations communicate the value of what they do to governments.Read moreRead less
Pedagogies of expertise in musical thought and practice. This project aims to research the pedagogy and environmental features that underpin the development of early expertise in music. Previous studies of musical expertise have studied instrumental expertise developed in individual contexts. The project will study choral singing, where children (age 6 – 17) attain a standard of expertise unique to that domain and acquired in a collective setting. Through studying expert practice in children’s c ....Pedagogies of expertise in musical thought and practice. This project aims to research the pedagogy and environmental features that underpin the development of early expertise in music. Previous studies of musical expertise have studied instrumental expertise developed in individual contexts. The project will study choral singing, where children (age 6 – 17) attain a standard of expertise unique to that domain and acquired in a collective setting. Through studying expert practice in children’s choirs that reflect diverse socio-cultural settings (sacred, secular, male, female, Indigenous choirs), the project intends to inform pedagogical practices and learning environment design for children and young people in and beyond music.Read moreRead less
The role of community music in addressing social inequalities in Australia. This project aims to investigate the role community music can play in addressing social inequalities in Australia. The research expects to map and analyse a range of social outcomes fostered by community music, and investigate how these outcomes can enrich current place-based efforts to address social disadvantage. Through national sector mapping, community case studies, and an innovative analytic framework, expected out ....The role of community music in addressing social inequalities in Australia. This project aims to investigate the role community music can play in addressing social inequalities in Australia. The research expects to map and analyse a range of social outcomes fostered by community music, and investigate how these outcomes can enrich current place-based efforts to address social disadvantage. Through national sector mapping, community case studies, and an innovative analytic framework, expected outcomes include new interdisciplinary knowledge, music and social sector development, and greater creativity in place-based policies tackling inequalities. This should provide significant benefits for Australian communities where social inequalities exist, by harnessing their creative assets to drive positive social change. Read moreRead less