Research staff

Dr Anthony Anderson

Research Fellow in Music Education

Anthony taught music in schools for 16 years, during which time he was a Head of Performing Arts. He is an accredited Advanced Skills Teacher and coach, and has worked as an Outstanding Facilitator with the National College for Teaching and Leadership. He is an experienced initial teacher educator having worked in schools as a...

Dr Kirsty Devaney

Young Composers Project Leader

Kirsty Devaney is a British composer based in Birmingham where she completed her studies at Birmingham Conservatoire with Joe Cutler, Ed Bennett and Howard Skempton. Kirsty received the ‘Principal's Award’ and a Junior Fellowship from Birmingham Conservatoire in 2013. In 2011 Kirsty was shortlisted for a British Composer Award...

Professor Martin Fautley

Professor of Education

Professor Martin Fautley has a wealth of experience in music education, both in terms of pedagogy, and of music education research. After enjoying many years as a classroom music teacher, he then undertook full-time Doctoral research working across the education and music faculties at Cambridge University, investigating...

Dr Victoria Kinsella-Hadjinestoros

Senior Research Fellow in Creativities

Dr. Victoria Kinsella holds the position of Reader in Arts, Creativity and Education at Birmingham City University. She has served as both principal and co-investigator on a substantial number of research projects, encompassing diverse settings such as schools, prisons, galleries, and arts centres. Her work notably focuses on...

Dr Emma Nenadic

Research Assistant in Music Education

Emma is a full-time doctoral candidate under the supervision of Martin Fautley and Victoria Kinsella. Using a qualitative multiple case study approach, her thesis is focusing on learning, practice and pedagogy within music education partnerships between schools and music organisations.

Dr Luan Shaw

Director of Postgraduate Studies (Music)

Dr Luan Shaw is Director of Postgraduate Studies (Music) at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire where she has taught since 2011. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and was made an Honorary Member of RBC in 2001. In her former role as RBC’s first Head of Pedagogy (2011-2018), she led the significant...

Dr Adam Whittaker

Head of Pedagogy and Lecturer in Music

Adam is Head of Pedagogy and a Lecturer in Music at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, having previously worked as a Research Fellow in BCU’s CSPACE, and at the University of Nottingham. Adam is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and is an internationally recognised scholar in musicology and music education, having given...