The conference stage in Opus 9, the home of Phil Zuid in a converted church, with a chandelier hanging above a grand piano.

Stephanie Pitts (middle-aged white woman with dark hair and glasses) in the academic dress of Maastricht University, with dark red and black velvet robes, white shirt front and bowtie, and a black velvet hat, all designed for a considerably taller person.

First page of my keynote lecture, reading 'The Hidden Musicians revisited - on amateur musical life, belonging, and place'; Professor Stephanie Pitts; Sheffield Performer and Audience Research Centre, University of Sheffield, UK. Border in shades of green, yellow and blue, chosen to go with DuoLingo screenshots...

Final slide reading 'Thanks & bedankt!', with DuoLingo screenshots 'We should stop / We zouden moeten stoppen' and 'You probably do not have to be worried / Je hoeft waarschijnlijk niet bezorgd te zijn'

Had a wonderful visit to sunny Maastricht last week, delivering a keynote at the 'Breaking the Classical Frame' conference of MCICM, and sharing in the retirement celebrations of Prof Peter Peters, with fancy dress as a Dutch professor 👀👩‍🎓 Geweldig leuk!!

A purple background with the words Bookloop, read, recycle, redeem.

Looking to Spring clean some space on your shelves? Check out Bookloop, our new service where you can trade your pre-loved books for store credit. bookloop.webuybooks.co.uk

Anyone working in history of comedy/satire, television, modern British politics - there's a fully funded PhD to research the Spitting Image archive @theul.bsky.social, with supervision at Exeter Uni. All disciplines considered, pls do share widely.
www.exeter.ac.uk/study/fundin...

Sheffield's classical scene has so much potential – why are we not making the most of it? Composer and outgoing programmer at Music in the Round Dr Benjamin Tassie writes for Now Then about why the city’s scene is at its best when it takes risks and rewards experimentation.

It's an absolute scandal that @artscouncilengland.bsky.social, through their National Portfolio, spend just £6.59 per person in Sheffield, compared to £44.60 in Manchester and £35.65 in Leeds.

Our city deserves better!

Great piece in @nowthenmag.bsky.social by @benjamintassie.bsky.social 👇

New monthly happening in Hillsborough with a concert, singing session, tunes and signalong songs. First night's guest is Martin Simpson.
Hillsborough Park Pavillion 9 May. More info and tickets: share.google/aFIa0JUysy4A...

Psychology of Music Masters at the University of Sheffield Hello all! Emily here. I am a proud graduate of the Master’s programme in Psychology of Music at the  University of Sheffield . I have recen...

Thanks to Emily Cooper, MA graduate and current PhD student, for this lovely account of her time on our MA Psychology of Music. Apply now for 2026 entry if you'd like to follow in her footsteps 👣👣👣
singing-in-balance.blogspot.com/2026/03/psyc...

Amazing - can’t believe it’s been that long. Your determined and graceful recovery is an inspiration - here’s to the next steps, in every sense x

Job Klaxon! Three great opportunities for up-and-coming postdocs at Newcastle
www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/43...

🎵 Registration is open for the 2026 SEMPRE Conference on #MusicScience and #MusicPsychology at Cambridge University (CMS + MMB) on 16 April 2026. Talks and posters from early career researchers, a keynote by Dr Marcus Pearce, and many opportunities to connect with others.

Website: lnkd.in/eEQPKr5Q

A Grantham Scholar presenting in front of an audience at the Methods@Sheffield event

A Grantham Scholar presenting in front of an audience at the Methods@Sheffield event

A Grantham Scholar presenting in front of an audience at the Methods@Sheffield event

Richard Sulley from the Grantham Centre speaking to the audience at the Methods@Sheffield event

Our Grantham Scholars have been presenting research at our Methods@Sheffield event this week!

The twist - they have to present the work of another scholar from an entirely different discipline!

Well done to all our scholars who did a great job 👏

Read about the event here ⬇️
tinyurl.com/j3xpa6nz

Emerging Technologies in Music: Implications for Musicians and Audiences at Royal Holloway, University of London on FindAPhD.com PhD Project - Emerging Technologies in Music: Implications for Musicians and Audiences at Royal Holloway, University of London, listed on FindAPhD.com

Exciting funded PhD opportunity at RHUL on Emerging Technologies in Music: Implications for Musicians and Audiences www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

Lovely to join the Grantham Scholars for their interdisciplinary methods exchange today. Forgot to take a photo so am recycling this one, which feels very on-brand ♻️ Exciting ideas emerging with my PhD student @jennmac42.bsky.social and her newfound collaborators, so watch this space! 🎶👂🌎

Artificial Inequality? AI and its impact on the UK Creative Industries (CreativeAI Studentship) at The University of Manchester on FindAPhD.com PhD Project - Artificial Inequality? AI and its impact on the UK Creative Industries (CreativeAI Studentship) at The University of Manchester, listed on FindAPhD.com

Come at do a PhD with Sam Hind, Riza Batista-Navarro and me! "Artificial Inequality? AI and its impact on the UK Creative Industries" Deadline 30th March www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

Rethinking Relevance: Breaking the Classical Frame - Home

Looking forward to my next visit to Maastricht in April, to join the wonderful MCICM team for their conference on 'Rethinking Relevance' in classical music. Registration now open if you'd like to come too! www.aanmelder.nl/170913

Considering psychology of music? Have a look at Sheffield.

"Behind the Scenes" is a new online seminar series on how research papers actually get made: from early ideas and methods to revisions and publication.

Next up: Nihar Shah on peer review (Wed 4 Feb).

More info: www.bts-seminar.net

Dr Emma Risley holds up her newly bound thesis to show her apparently attentive dog!

Huge congratulations to our new Dr @emrisley.bsky.social shown here impressing her cute dog Sky with her thesis on the psychological cost of a musical theatre performance career! 🥰I've loved being Emma's supervisor and learned a lot - all supervisions should include recent theatre debriefs!! 🎵👏🍾

PhD studentships available in: Creative and Cultural Industries, Media, and Arts Practice (EDI in Practice); Identity, Representation, and Social Justice (EDI in Theory and Experience); Humanities, Philosophy, and Literature (EDI in Knowledge and Method). More details in link below.

The Good Old Days   Pity the poor children of today, with their calendars stuffed with chocolates,   never to know the thrill of opening a small cardboard door and discovering behind it   a picture of a bell. Brian Bilston

This poem is dedicated to anyone making a start on their advent calendar today.

A London lawyer bought hundreds of Sheffield freeholds. Then the ‘very aggressive’ letters arrived Exclusive: The Tribune can reveal that Andrew Milne has threatened leaseholders with high court action. It ‘broke my heart’ one woman says

Milne is in the spotlight thanks to some amazing reporting from The Sheffield Tribune: buff.ly/8ZTPmDL

Yay - congratulations!! 🎉🎉🎉

Echoes of Empire: Engaging communities with diverse cultural histories through the Histories of African Instruments at Nottingham Castle - Collaboratory Research Hub Collaboratory 2026 Research Placement Project Download PDF Key Details Project Title: Echoes of Empire: Engaging communities with diverse cultural histories through the Histories of African Instrument...

Job alert! 12-week paid research placement supervised by me & colleagues at NTU and Nottingham Castle. The researcher will investigate the provenance, cultural meanings, and history of display of African instruments in Nottingham Castle's collection. collaboratoryresearchhub.ac.uk/echoes-of-em...

We're hiring a Research Coordinator - Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre Creative PEC is hiring a Research Coordinator based either in Newcastle or London. Closing date: 23/11/2025

📢 We're hiring a Research Coordinator!

This new full-time position based in either Newcastle or London will support the delivery of Creative PEC’s high-profile research programme and our championing of the UK’s creative industries.

Find out more and apply:
pec.ac.uk/job_entries/...

Multimodality and Embodiment of Timing and Tempo - RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time and Motion Professor of Music Psychology at the University of Sheffield, Renee Timmers, will speak at RITMO's Seminar Series.

Our next RITMO Seminar Series is Tuesday next week!🥳
Professor of Music Psychology at the University of Sheffield, Renee Timmers, will give a talk titled "Multimodality and Embodiment of Timing and Tempo".
Read more here:
www.uio.no/ritmo/englis...

Investigating Amateur Choirs in the United Kingdom as Sites of Musical Learning and Ambition - Stephanie E. Pitts, Elizabeth H. MacGregor, 2025 Singing in an amateur choir is widely recognised as a source of enjoyment, social connection, and wellbeing. Choir membership in the United Kingdom, however, is...

Please take a look at our new 🗝️open access🗝️ article based on @sparcsheffield.bsky.social research at @sheffielduni.bsky.social, Peterborough Sings! and funded by @artscouncilengland.bsky.social.

doi.org/10.1177/0255...

Class Ceiling: Classical Music Conference ~ Barbican, London — Alternative Classical Tackling the socio-economic deficit in the classical music industry.

A one-day event confronting the socio-economic deficit in the classical music industry.

www.alternativeclassical.co.uk/concerts-cal...

Journal of Live Music Studies Journal of Live Music Studies; The Journal of Live Music Studies (JLMS) is a peer-reviewed publication dedicated to advancing knowledge of live music practices, performances, business, infrastructure ...

Excited to be part of this new journal, now welcoming original research on all aspects of live music, across genres, locations, methods and disciplines. Take a look, share with colleagues, and send us your brilliant research! www.intellectbooks.com/journal-of-l...

Hearing about the diverse collaborative dissertations our MA students in Psychology of Music have completed in the last few years and some of the new collaborations and research problems students can engage in this academic year. Come join our MA Psychology of Music sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate...

2026 Sempre PGR/ECR Conference – Sempre The 2026 Sempre PGR/ECR Conference will take place on Thursday, 16 April 2026, at the Faculty of Music, University of Cambridge, with online participation avail

Save the date: the 2026 Sempre PGR/ECR Conference will be held on Thursday, 16 April 2026 at the University of Cambridge.

The conference is aimed at postgraduate and early career researchers (PGRs & ECRs) working in music psychology and music education.

Learn more: sempre.org.uk/conference/2...