RNCM Research Forum - Pamela Heaton (Goldsmiths University…

Our Research Forums provide in-depth insight into some of the cutting-edge research that is taking place at the RNCM. Hear presentations from academics, performers, and composers as they share the latest developments in their fields, discuss innovative techniques, and explore new perspectives on music performance, composition, and scholarship. These forums offer a unique opportunity to engage with ground-breaking work, ask questions, and gain a deeper understanding of the evolving landscape of music research at the RNCM. Talks usually last about an hour, including a Q&A session. Join us in person or watch this session livestreamed. About Empirical approaches to understanding musical strengths in autism have been motivated by domain-general cognitive models. This approach fails to acknowledge the uniquely complex nature of musical traits and reflects a pathologizing conceptualisation of autism.? The last decade has witnessed a proliferation of studies documenting the way autistic people experience and utilise music in their everyday lives, and this work provides an important new starting point for understanding musical talent in autism. In my talk I will focus on recent work exploring the development of musical skills in autistic performers and composers with the aim of stimulating debate around methodological approaches to studying musicality in neurodiverse and neurotypical populations.? Pamela Heaton is Emerita Professor of Psychology, at Goldsmiths University of London, UK. As a mature student, Professor Heaton drew on her undergraduate studies in music and classical training in her PhD thesis, which explored music perception in autistic children.? This work was awarded the British Psychological Society prize for outstanding doctoral research contributions in 2002. Her subsequent research and experience of developing and delivering the cross-departmental Psychology of Music module at Goldsmiths University fuelled her interest in developing a cross-disciplinary approach to studying music in neurodevelopmental conditions and in her talk she will discuss the approach she has taken in her new book on autism and music.? ? WATCH LIVE Wednesday 29 January 2025, 4.15pm