Victoria Williamson

Lecturer in Music , University of Sheffield

My research interests can be summarised by the term ‘Applied Music Psychology’. This means that I am keen to explore how music impacts on our behaviours, abilities, and brain responses, and to learn how we can best interact with music to support our activities in the real world.

I completed my degree in Psychology at the University of York (UK) in 2004, where I studied the effect of music on computer game performance. I then gained an MA in the Psychology of Music at the University of Sheffield where I investigated musical memory and the impact of music on driving behaviour. Finally, I was awarded a University of York Doctoral Studentship to study musical memory and the impacts of musical expertise on cognition, with Profs. Alan Baddeley and Graham Hitch.

I funded my university education by working as a professional music teacher (classical guitar), in both private homes and as a peripatetic teacher for North Yorkshire County Council. While completing my PhD I worked as an undergraduate teaching assistant in York and as a psychology research assistant at the University of Sheffield.

During my doctorate I qualified as an Associate at the Higher Education Academy and in 2012 I followed up with my professional teacher training and gained my PG Cert in the Management of Learning and Teaching from Goldsmiths, University of London.

In 2008 I completed my doctorate and won the ESRC Fellowship Award that allowed me to move to Goldsmiths and study memory function in people with congenital amusia (tone deafness). While there I also completed my own British Academy grant entitled “What causes earworms?” and was co-investigator on a British Academy grant investigating music and novel word learning.

I spent 2011-12 working as a lecturer and course co-director of the MSc in Music, Mind and Brain at Goldsmiths. From 2012-2013, I worked as a Leverhulme Research Associate on a project investigating potential causes and cures of earworms (tunes that get stuck in the head).

In 2013 I moved to Switzerland to work as Visiting Professor of Performance Science at the Hochschule Luzern – Musik, Lucerne University of Applied Science and Arts. In 2014 I began my role as Vice Chancellor’s Fellow for the Arts and Humanities (Music) at the University of Sheffield. From 2014-2015 I was the Visiting Fellow at the School of Advanced Study (University of London).

At present I have several ongoing research projects that explore my special interest, musical memory: how it develops, why it varies in different people, and how musical memories can help us in other areas of life. I also collaborate with music performance researchers to examine the nature and impact of classical music critical review.

In 2015 I launched a new research unit, Music & Wellbeing at The University of Sheffield. We work on multiple projects that address the role of music in response to both everyday (learning, memory) and extraordinary (physical and mental health, poverty) wellbeing challenges.

Examples of Music & Wellbeing projects include: 1) music interventions during residential dementia care, 2) music during cancer care, 3) the use of music to aid disturbed sleep, and 4) the effect of critical review on music consumers and musicians (funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation in collaboration with the Hochschule Luzern)