Our School has a long-established tradition of research in music education, historical musicology and performance practice as well as a strong track-record in composition and performance.

With the appointment of Winthrop Professor Jane Davidson to the Callaway/Tunley Chair of Music, research interests have expanded to include the study of music in relation to social science.

Research is closely interwoven with the Callaway Centre, a research hub providing a focus for discussion, projects and postgraduate activity and training. It is also home to the Callaway Centre Archive of Australian and international collections.

1. Research 
2. Projects

Research

The School encourages interdisciplinary, interstate and international collaborations, and undertakes presentations, publications, recordings and performances in its specialty areas.

• Australian music studies aims to develop musicological research on Australian art and popular music including composers and performers of the twentieth century.
  
• European music studies researches music prior to the nineteenth century and contributes to the Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Studies. The Centre has a particular focus on historical performance practice.
• Music as a social science explores the production and perception of music from a range of social science perspectives, including psychological, sociological, health, evolution and anthropological, and ethnomusicological.
  
• Music education research concentrates on lifespan development, psychological needs theory, and skills bases and competencies for the classroom.
• Staff regularly participate in performance as research and Original creative work: Performance and composition.
• Performance Health:  A collaborative project jointly led by the University of Western Australia and the University of Sydney, funded by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC), which aims to reduce the risk of injury for young musicians by filling a gap in teaching at tertiary schools of music.

Projects

Corporate funding has enabled large-scale projects including:

• Act, Belong, Commit to Singing (2009-2011)
  A research node focused on ameliorating the health and well-being of older people with mental and physical illnesses through the core activity of singing in groups
• Communicative Human Musicality (2007-2010)
  A cross-cultural comparative study of dance, singing and musical instrument skills in 12-15 year olds
• From Child Learner to Adult Musician (2007-2009)
  A study of factors leading to success and ongoing participation in music
• Preserving Australia’s Sound Heritage (2004-2007)
  A web-based research infrastructure in support of two major music archival collections: the Handa Collection (University of Western Australia) and the Australian Archive of Jewish Music (Monash University)
• Sound Footings (2006-2007)
  A web-based research infrastructure in support of two major music archives: the Eileen Joyce Collection (UWA) and the Asian-Australian Music Collection (Monash University).