51²è¹Ý¶ù

Why did you study music?

Music has been my life and my community for so many years.  As a performer stepping back into education after 20 years, I had experience from the inside of the many needs within my music community, and really wanted to give back and make a positive change where possible. 

Why did you study music at the University of Sheffield? 

I chose to study at 51²è¹Ý¶ù University because after researching, I learned it offers some of the best there is in the UK for Music Psychology, which is still a relatively new discipline. 

Attached to the University is the only Music and Wellbeing research centre in the UK.  They also offered a really flexible distance course which worked with the rest of my life at the time and meant I did not have to relocate.

What did you enjoy most about studying the MA in Music Psychology?

Studying music psychology at 51²è¹Ý¶ù encouraged me to do some of my best work.  Despite being a distance-learner, my supervisor was incredibly supportive and in-touch. 

I was challenged to research areas that were both personal to me and lacking in the wider field, which centred the voices of Black and Global Majority communities.

How did studying a postgraduate degree help with your future career?

The research I carried out on my Masters’ programme has literally changed the trajectory of my career. 

Until I started studying, song-writing and music had been my voice and the means I used to advocate for change. When I started studying music psychology I realised that I could develop a new superpower via research, which could equally be used to speak out about injustice and encourage positive change.

What aspect of the music industry to do you work in now?

I now frequently talk on panels and at conferences sharing my findings and knowledge surrounding music and mental health and the experiences of the Global Majority in music education and industry.