Research Area: Music in social relationships
Department: Reid School of Music
E-mail: jmorgan@ed.ac.uk
Biography
Jill Morgan is a tutor in Keyboard Skills and researcher in Music Psychology at the University of Edinburgh and lecturer in Teaching and Learning in the Performing Arts at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She attained her PhD in Edinburgh in the summer of 2015 under the supervision of Professors Raymond MacDonald, Dorothy Miell and Paul Flowers. Having previously graduated from Trinity College London, specialising in piano accompaniment under Jacob Kaletsky, she began a career in teaching and accompanying. Jill subsequently undertook a Master’s Degree in Psychology for Musicians at Sheffield University and this inspired her interest in the social psychology of music and music’s impact on health and wellbeing. She has given many presentations at conferences and seminars both nationally and internationally in this field and her current research focuses on expanding knowledge in the area of music in intimate relationships.
Research Interests
Jill’s work draws directly upon previous research into the phenomenological experiences of specific pairings who are engaged in musical participation, and exploring the significance of music in their lives and its role in the health and wellbeing of their relationships. Previously her Master’s degree studied the impact of music on joint identity and relationships within the family unit with particular references to mothers and their teenage offspring. This was followed by a PhD investigation which explored lifelong musical engagement and its role in the health of marital relationships in retired couples living in the community. She is currently investigating the use of music within intimate couple relationships from other age groups, ethnicities and sexual orientations, seeking to interpret and compare perceptions of the role of music in partnership construction, togetherness and joint identity.
Publications
Morgan, J.P., MacDonald, R.A.R. & Pitts, S.E. (2015). “Caught between a scream and a hug”: Women’s perspectives on music listening and interaction with teenagers in the family unit. Psychology of Music, 43 (5), 611-626.
International conference papers
Morgan, J., MacDonald R.A.R., Flowers, P. and Miell, D.E. (2014). Active ageing: the symbiosis of music and health in third age relationships. 13th International Conference for Music Perception and Cognition, 5th Conference of Asia-Pacific Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music. Yonsei University, South Korea August 4th – 8th
Morgan, J., MacDonald R.A.R. and Pitts, S.E. (2013). Active ageing: the symbiosis of music and health in third age relationships. 3rd International Conference on Music and Emotion. University of Jyväsklä, Finland June 11th – 13th
Morgan, J. and MacDonald R.A.R. (2012). Active ageing: the symbiosis of music and health in third age relationships. SEMPRE 40th Anniversary Conference (Society for Education, Music and Psychology Research). Institute of Education, University of London September 14th -15th
Morgan, J. and MacDonald R.A.R. (2012). Active ageing: the symbiosis of music and health in third age relationships. Creativity, musicality and wellbeing. 5th International Scientific Conference on the Changing Face of Music and Art Education. University of Tallinn, Estonia April 12th – 13th
Morgan, J. and MacDonald R.A.R. (2011). Active ageing: the symbiosis of music and health in third age relationships. Striking a Chord ‘Music, Health and Wellbeing: a conference exploring current developments in research and practice. Canterbury Christ Church University September 9th-10th
Morgan, J. (2004). Female musical identity in a family setting. Musical Cultures and the Realisation of Potential. SEMPRE Conference (Society for Education, Music and Psychology Research). Institute of Education, University of London. October 23rd
Invited Lectures/Talks
Morgan, J., MacDonald, R.A.R., Flowers, P. and Miell, D.E. (2015). Those who sing together stay together: exploring lifelong musical; engagement and its role in the health and wellbeing of couple relationships in retirement. Music research seminars, Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanitites (College of Humanities and Social Science), University of Edinburgh February 5th
Morgan, J., MacDonald, R.A.R. & Flowers, P. (2012). The role of music in social relations. Music Psychology Group Meeting. Glasgow Caledonian University. May 2011.
Funding Awarded
2014 Travel award, Reid School of Music
2014 Travel award, Edinburgh College of Art
2012 Travel award, Society for Education, Music and Psychology Research (SEMPRE)
Teaching
Keyboard Skills 1 & 2, First and Second Year Undergraduate, Course Tutor, University of Edinburgh
Lecturer in Learning and Teaching in the Performing Arts (Early Years to Senior Phase), Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Other
Member of the Incorporated Society of Musicians
Registered member of the General Teaching Council (Scotland)
Marker for Higher Psychology (SQA)