Dr Caroline Waddington-Jones
Senior Lecturer in Music Education

Profile

Biography

Caroline joined the University of York in 2019, having previously held lectureships at the University of Hull, the University of Derby, and the University of Roehampton. She co-directs the Centre for Music Education and Human Flourishing and co-leads the MA Music
Education programmes.

Caroline's research interests include music and disability, the use of technology to support musical engagement, and the role of music in human flourishing. She works collaboratively with communities and practitioners to address real-world barriers to music-making and
learning.

She leads two research projects and co-leads a third. CoMusicate (funded by the Closing the Gap Network) works with people with lived experience of severe mental ill health to understand their experiences of, and barriers to, musical engagement, and to co-design new technology that supports social and creative interaction through music and sound. Smile (funded by Paul Hamlyn Foundation and SEMPRE, in partnership with Live Music Now) aims to improve music provision for children and young people with learning disabilities in special schools. Working with teachers, the project has developed and evaluated free online resources to support music in the classroom. Caroline also co-leads ‘Beats and Belonging in Bradford: DJing for Youth Wellbeing and Inclusion’ (funded by Born in Bradford), working with schools and young people across the city.

Caroline has published in leading peer-reviewed journals in music education and psychology, including Music Education Research, Frontiers in Psychology, and the Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs. She has guest-edited special issues on music and empathy and on music and wellbeing, and co-edited Music and Empathy (Routledge) with Dr Elaine King.

Beyond the university, Caroline is committed to musical inclusion and works with organisations such as Live Music Now, Music in Hospitals and Care, The Amber Trust, and Sounds of Intent to bring more music-making and learning opportunities to disabled
children and young people.

Caroline welcomes enquiries from prospective PhD students whose interests align with her research.

Research

Overview

Caroline’s research interests span music psychology and education.

Areas of interest:

• Music in special education
• Music and disability
• Use of technology for music learning/musical engagement
• Music and mental health
• The role of music in human flourishing

Recent projects:

• ‘Beats and Belonging in Bradford’: working in schools and communities across Bradford to explore the impact of DJing on young people’s (musical) identities and wellbeing (with Dr Pete Dale, funded by Born in Bradford)
• ‘CoMusicate’: working with people with lived experience of severe mental ill health to understand their experiences of, and barriers to, musical engagement, and to co-design new technology that supports social and creative interaction through music and sound (with Dr Anna Bramwell-Dicks, funded by Closing the Gap)
• ‘Smile’: to improve music provision for children and young people with learning disabilities in special schools. Working with teachers, the project has developed and evaluated free online resources to support music in the classroom. (with Live Music Now, funded by Paul Hamlyn Foundation and SEMPRE)
• ‘Minute of Listening’: the impact of listening to music/creative sound on primary school children’s wellbeing (with Dr Andrew King and Professor Pam Burnard, commissioned by Sound and Music, funded by Paul Hamlyn Foundation via PRSF)
• ‘New Music Biennial’: the perceived impact of collaborative composition on older adults’ wellbeing (with Dr Andrew King and Professor Pam Burnard, funded by Paul Hamlyn Foundation via PRSF)
• ‘Connect: Resound’: the use of online technology to support instrumental learning

Supervision

Caroline welcomes enquiries from prospective PhD students whose interests align with her research.

Teaching

Undergraduate

• Introduction to the Psychology of Music
• Solo project supervision

Postgraduate

• MA Music Education: Instrumental and Vocal Teaching
• MA Music Education: Group Teaching and Leadership
• MA Community Music