Dr Helen Prior

Dr Helen Prior

Senior Lecturer in Music

Faculty and Department

  • Faculty of Arts Cultures and Education
  • School of The Arts

Qualifications

  • BMus (University of Hull)
  • MSc (Keele University)
  • PGDip (University of Hull)
  • PhD / DPhil (University of Hull)
  • PGCert (University of Hull)

Summary

Helen is a music psychologist, with interests in music performance, music education, music and wellbeing, and music and the environment. Her work with the Centre for Musical Performance as Creative Practice (CMPCP) explored the experiences of professional musicians in creating, or shaping, their musical performances. Equally important is the area of music education, within which she has explored remote music lessons through the Connect: Resound project, led by Professor Andrew King; and is also exploring transitions within music education with Dr Elaine King. Musical activities have a range of benefits, particularly in relation to wellbeing, and Helen's involvement with the Strokestra Project (led by Elaine King) explore these benefits in detail. Music can have a profound influence on us, changing our physical and mental wellbeing, but also influencing our decisions; Helen's work in relation to music and the environment investigates the ways in which we might harness this power to help people to adopt environmentally-friendly behaviours. Overall, Helen is fascinated by the myriad ways in which we interact with music as human beings, and her research explores these from a range of perspectives.

In her spare time, Helen enjoys playing the piano, and the modern and baroque violin, and occasionally doing some orchestral conducting.

Module Leader for:

- 771809 - Music Studies I

- 661928 - The Future of the Arts

Recent outputs

View more outputs

Book Chapter

Shape as understood by performing musicians

Prior, H. Shape as understood by performing musicians.

Journal Article

How Can Music Help Us To Address The Climate Crisis

Prior, H. (in press). How Can Music Help Us To Address The Climate Crisis. Music and Science, https://doi.org/10.1177/20592043221075725

Exploring the Factors Influencing Chinese Music Teachers' Perceptions and Behavioural Intentions in Using Technology in Higher Education: A Pilot Study

King, A., Zhang, X., & Prior, H. (in press). Exploring the Factors Influencing Chinese Music Teachers’ Perceptions and Behavioural Intentions in Using Technology in Higher Education: A Pilot Study. Music and Science, 4, https://doi.org/10.1177/20592043211044819

Connect Resound: Using online technology to deliver music education to remote communities

King, A., Prior, H., & Waddington-Jones, C. (2019). Connect Resound: Using online technology to deliver music education to remote communities. Journal of Music, Technology and Education, 12(2), 201-217. https://doi.org/10.1386/jmte_00006_1

Exploring teachers' and pupils' behaviour in online and face-to-face instrumental lessons

King, A., Prior, H., & Waddington-Jones, C. (2019). Exploring teachers’ and pupils’ behaviour in online and face-to-face instrumental lessons. Music education research, 21(2), 197-209. https://doi.org/10.1080/14613808.2019.1585791

Research interests

- Music and the environment

- Music, health and wellbeing

- Music and emotion

- Music performance

Lead investigator

Project

Funder

Grant

Started

Status

Project

NERC Discipline Hopping: PsyCliMuse NERC Discipline Hopping Bid 22-23

Funder

NERC Natural Environment Research Council

Grant

£2,693.00

Started

1 December 2022

Status

Complete

Co-investigator

Project

Funder

Grant

Started

Status

Project

STROKESTRA - SEMPRE 50th Anniversary Award Bid

Funder

Society for Education, Music & Psychology Research

Grant

£8,600.00

Started

1 January 2021

Status

Ongoing

Project

HIKE: Accessibility in the arts: music education through technology

Funder

AHRC Arts & Humanities Research Council

Grant

£40,177.00

Started

1 September 2023

Status

Ongoing

Postgraduate supervision

Completed PhDs

Kussner M, Shape, Drawing and Gesture: Cross-Modal Mappings of Sound and Music (2014), completed at King's College, London (second supervisor).

Feygelson E, Nonverbal Communication in Improvised Contexts: Observing the Exchange of Musical Ideas at the i=u Festival (2015), completed at King's College, London (second supervisor)

Presicce, G., The Role of Engagement and Visual Imagery in Music Listening (2019), completed at The University of Hull (first supervisor).

Todd, R., 'Play' in Chamber Ensemble Music Rehearsal (2021), completed at The University of Hull (co-supervisor).

Zhang, X., 'The use of Technology in Music Education in China (2022) completed at The University of Hull (co-supervisor).

Current PhD supervisions

Ellie Dabell: Transitions in Music Education (co-supervisor).

Wayne Willis: Climate and behaviour change (co-supervisor).

National/International learned society/body role

SEMPRE Conference Secretary

2012

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