Elizabeth Haddon SFHEA LRSM played a foundational role in developing the profile of Music Education at the University of York in recent years. As well as leading undergraduate modules in music education, Liz devised and led the MA Music Education: Instrumental and Vocal Teaching from 2015, acting as Programme Leader for over six years, and built up the programme to encompass students from numerous countries across the globe, passing on contemporary theoretical and practical knowledge to in turn benefit thousands of learners worldwide from diverse backgrounds. The reputational profile and rapid growth in student numbers facilitated the expansion of academic staff at the University of York and the creation of a community of doctoral researchers in Music Education, many of whom now hold academic roles in higher education institutions and work in research and private sector settings. This activity led to her edited volume Instrumental Music Education (Bloomsbury, 2026) featuring collaborative chapters written by staff, doctoral students and MA alumni taking part in the Music Education Forum sessions, which Liz also initiated at the University of York. Liz’s external roles include external examining for Trinity Laban, Kingston University, UCL, Sydney Conservatorium, Kings College London, Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Royal College of Music, and the University of Hull. She is the current Book Review Editor for the British Journal of Music Education. She continues to be active as consultant, teacher and researcher; her research encompasses instrumental music pedagogy, funded projects on mental health and wellbeing within academia, and workshop facilitation in community projects with refugees and asylum seekers. 

Marissa Silverman is Professor of Music Education and Coordinator of Music Education at the John J. Cali School of Music, Montclair State University, New Jersey. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and later moved with her family to Long Island, where she spent part of her childhood on Shelter Island, NY (1988–1993). She attended a small K–12 school with approximately 250 students and graduated from high school as part of a class of 18. Following graduation, she relocated to New York City. Professor Silverman completed her higher education at New York University (BA, PhD), SUNY Purchase (MFA), and Pace University (MST). Her previous teaching appointments include New York University, Brooklyn College (CUNY), Rutgers University, and Long Island City High School in Queens, NY. Her teaching areas span music, music education, and English literature. Prior to her academic career, she worked as a freelance flautist in New York City.

Dylan van der Schyff is Associate Professor in Music at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music where he convenes the honours and graduate programs in improvisation. He also lectures in drumming, rhythm studies, ensemble practice, and other areas. Dylan received his PhD from Simon Fraser University (Vancouver, Canada), and holds master's degrees in humanities (SFU) and music psychology (Sheffield). His postdoctoral work was hosted by the Faculty of Music at the University of Oxford. Dylan's scholarship draws on embodied cognitive science, phenomenological philosophy, and musicology to explore questions related to how and why music is meaningful for human beings. Much of this research focuses on developing possibilities for thought and action in practical areas such as improvisation and creativity, performance, and music education. 

Pamela holds degrees in Music Performance, Music Education, Education and Philosophy. Her primary interest is creativities research for which she is internationally recognised. She is the author/co-author/editor of 20 books, 25 reports, and over 120 refereed journals and substantial book chapters. She is regularly invited to give keynote addresses and invited talks nationally and internationally.  She has been co-editor of the international journal Thinking Skills and Creativity; founder and original Chair of the Arts and Creativities Research Group (A&CRG) University of Cambridge and previous co-convenor of the BERA Creativities-in-Education Special Interest Group. She serves on numerous editorial boards.  Pamela has built extensive networks which link universities, industries, school sectors, communities and organisations. Her doctoral research supervision encompasses investigations which advance diverse creativities research. 

Evangelos held the University of London's first ever lectureship in music technology education and now holds the first Chair in Technology, Education, and Music. He is Fellow of the RSA and Chartered Fellow (FBCS CITP) with the British Computer Society. As a musician, technologist and educator, Evangelos has had an ongoing career in research in Psychoacoustics, Music-Perception, Music-Cognition, IT, Human-Computer Interaction, SEND, the Singing Voice and Singing Development. Publications currently number over 180, in high-profile international journals, such as Frontiers of Psychology and Cognitive Science, Psychology of Music, IJME, RSME, Journal of Voice, Logopedics Phoniatrics Vocology.

Luc Nijs is Associate Professor in Early Childhood Music Education at the University of Luxembourg, and Head of the Bachelor in Music Education at the University of Luxembourg. He is also Visiting professor at Ghent University, affiliated to IPEM (Systematic Musicology) and - as co-founder - to the Jonet Chair on Music Making and Social Action. He holds a PhD in Arts Sciences (Systematic Musicology), MA degrees in Music Performance (clarinet) and Philosophy, and a Teacher Certificate (clarinet, sax, ensemble playing). His research integrates theory development, empirical studies and practice, focusing on the musician ‐ instrument relationship, on the role of body movement in the instrumental learning processes, and on the role of technology in provoking an embodied approach to instrumental music education. 

Gary Spruce was a secondary school music teacher for eighteen years before joining The Open University as subject leader for their Music PGCE course.  He was subject leader for Birmingham City University’s PGCE music course from 2019-2021. From 2007-2012 he was co-editor of the British Journal of Music Education. He has written and published widely on music education, particularly around the areas of secondary music education, teacher professional development and the relationship between music education and social justice. He has presented papers at national and international conferences. He is a practising musician with a particular interest in music theatre.

Tia DeNora completed her undergraduate studies in music (with flute as her principal instrument) and sociology at West Chester University in southeastern Pennsylvania. She earned her PhD in Sociology in 1989 from the University of California, San Diego. From 1989 to 1992 she worked at the University of Wales, Cardiff, where she also held a University of Wales Fellowship. She moved to the University of Exeter in 1992, where she is now Professor of Sociology. Professor DeNora has been a Fellow of the Yale Center for Cultural Sociology since 2004 and was recently elected a Fellow of the British Academy. She has served as Chair of the European Sociological Association Network on the Sociology of the Arts and has contributed extensively to the discipline through service on councils of learned societies, editorial boards, and as a member of the Sociology sub-panel for the UK Research Excellence Framework in 2008 and 2014.