Research projects

Birmingham City University has a proud history of being at the cutting edge of research in music education. B-MERG brings multiple faculties together to research teaching and learning, pedagogy, classroom and school music learning, instrumental and vocal music tuition, formal and informal learning, and lifelong learning under one umbrella.

B-MERG has a broad remit, including the following:

  • To act as a forum for academic and practitioner research and activity in music education in all its forms
  • To develop work in key themes of local, national, and international interest in Music Education for researchers, teachers, parents, participants, communities, policy-makers and legislators.
  • To research and develop innovative ways of teaching and learning in music in all its forms.
  • To work with local, national, and international organisations to develop partnerships for research and activity in music education.
  • To provide a centre for research and ideas in music education.
  • To organise seminars and conferences concerned with Music Education

Projects 

Through the Music Maze: Creative Composing for young children

This research will develop understandings of how to use repertoire as a stimulus that opens the composing horizons for...

Birmingham Contemporary Music Group: Resolution project

Working with young people to create new music around the theme of auto-immune disease. 

Imagine Compose

Imagine Compose explored how groups of beginner instrumentalists up to Grade 3, can compose within a “Wider Opportunit...

Teach Through Music

The evaluative report undertaken by Birmingham City University detailed a variety of perspectives on the Teach Through...

Youth Music: Exchanging Notes

Can getting young people involved in musical activities help those at risk of low attainment or exclusion? 

Whole Class Ensemble Teaching Research Report

How successful is Whole Class Ensemble Teaching (WCET)?

Just Play

Highlighting key themes in music education for young people

Go Compose

Working in partnership with Sound and Music to understand more regarding musical learning through composing

Voices Foundation Singing Schools Programme

Examining the impact the Singing School model has on the educational outcomes of children and young people

Evaluation of BBC Ten Pieces initiative

Sound Connections, a leading music charity based in London, approached BCU to act as the data analysis partner in an e...

Analysing accessible music education

Evaluating music education in projects with specialised instruments for those with upper-limb disabilities.

AHRC Network - Representations of/in classical music

What does classical music mean to today's generation? 

Educational resilience through community arts education

Investigating the impact of community arts provision on educational resilience.

Art Prize for Schools External Project Evaluation

Raising awareness of the Deutsche Bank Art Prize for Schools

Arts Council England Music Education Hub data return analysis

Exploring the performance of music education hubs across the country