School of Music

Lecturer, Admissions Tutor, Deputy Director of Learning and Teaching

k.burland@leeds.ac.uk

0113 3432579

BMus (Hons), MA, PhD

Dr Karen Burland was appointed to the staff at Leeds in 2005. She is currently the Admissions Tutor for the School of Music and she is the careers officer within the School. Karen also runs the peer mentoring scheme. Karen has published book chapters and journal articles focusing on musical development, musical identities, and the transition between higher education and performance/non-performance professions. Karen studied as an undergraduate and postgraduate at the University of Sheffield and finished her PhD in January 2005. During her postgraduate studies Karen worked as a visiting lecturer at The University of Leeds and The University of Sheffield and was a research assistant for Dr Stephanie Pitts (on PALATINE and British Academy funded projects) and Professors Eric Clarke and Nicholas Cook (British Academy funded project). Karen also teaches the clarinet and saxophone and is an active performer, playing baritone saxophone with the Saxsational saxophone quartet.

• Musical identities
• Musical development
• Music Therapy and Music Technology
• Audience experience

Musical development

Karens research in this area focuses specifically on the environmental conditions leading to childhood musical success and the professional development of musicians during their career transitions. In particular Karen is interested in how musicians cope with their transitions from training in Higher Education to entering a performance or non-performance based career. Karen was awarded the prestigious Uchida Fellowship in 2002 which enabled her to conduct similar research in Japan for a short period of time: she is currently working on the report of her findings. Karen has also investigated creativity and the influence of different group settings on the quality of childrens group compositions.

Musical identities

Karens current research activity focuses on musical identities: she argues that musicians possess either a professional or amateur musical identity which influences their career choices. She is currently working with Dr Luke Windsor (University of Leeds) to investigate how an individuals musical identity is presented in performance. Karen has recently started a new longitudinal study entitled The art of nu-jazz: investigating the process, experience and impact of collaborative studio projects in which she is exploring the musical identities of musicians creating and performing music which is based in a studio environment.

Audience experience

Karen worked with Dr Stephanie Pitts (University of Sheffield) on a British Academy funded project investigating the roles and experiences of listeners at a chamber music festival. They are currently working on a project funded by the British Academy investigating audience experience at the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues festival; investigating identity, community and participation.

Music Therapy and Music Technology

Karen is currently working with Dr Wendy Magee (Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability) on a project investigating music therapists use of music technology in therapeutic settings. The research aims to explore whether there is any consistency in the ways in which therapists are working with music technology and the ways in which it enhances the therapeutic process.

Current Modules

• MUSI1520 Introduction to the Sciences of Music
• MUSI2923 Psychology of Listening and Performance
• MUSI3920/40 Minor/Major Music Psychology
• MUSI3721 Music in Context: Music in the Community
• MUSI3120/40 Minor/Major Dissertation
• MUSI5134 Individual Project
• MUSI5337Applied Performance Studies
• MUSI5060 Introduction to Musical Scholarship

Module Coordinator for

• MUSI3721 Music in Context: Music in the Community
• MUSI5134 Individual Project

Other Teaching

• MUSI1320 Practical Skills
• MUSI1225 Understanding Popular Styles
• MUSI1020 Music in History and Culture
• MUSI2025 Approaches to the Analysis of Popular and World Music
• MUSI2520 Aesthetics and Criticism: From Plato to Nietzsche
• MUSI5060 Introduction to Musical Scholarship

Undergraduate Admissions Tutor:

Responsible for the recruitment of undergraduate students, organizing School Open Days and assisting potential applicants through the UCAS process.

School's career officer:

Responsible for organising careers events within the School, and running the peer mentoring scheme.

Contributions to books and conference proceedings

• Magee, W.L. & Burland, K. (2008). Using electronic music technologies in clinical practice: opportunities, limitations and clinical indicators. British Journal of Music Therapy, 22(1), 3-15.
• Magee, W.L. & Burland, K. (2008). An exploratory study of the use of electronic music technologies in clinical music therapy. Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 17(2), 124-141.
• Davidson, J. W. & Burland, K. (2006). Musician Identity Formation. In G.E.McPherson (ed.) The Child as Musician: a handbook of musical development (pp.475-490). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Burland, K. & Davidson, J. W (2004). Tracing a Musical Life Transition. In J.W. Davidson (ed) The Music Practitioner (pp.224-250). Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing Limited.

Periodical articles

• Burland, K., & Pitts, S.E. (2007) Becoming a Music Student: Investigating the skills and attitudes of students beginning a music degree. Arts and Humanities in Higher Education, 6:3, 289-308.
• Burland, K., & Davidson, J.W. (2004) The Role of Parents in the Development of the Professional Classical Musician. Edition Speciale de STAPS (Sciences et Techniques en Activits Physiques et Sportives), 64, 89-108.
• Burland, K. (2003) The Role Of Peers In Musical Development. Piano Professional: European Piano Teachers Association (UK) Ltd., 2, 14
• Moore, D.G., Burland, K., & Davidson, J.W. (2003) The Social Context of Musical Success: A developmental account. British Journal of Psychology, 94, 1-21
• Burland, K., & Davidson, J.W. (2002). Training the Talented. Music Education Research, 4:1, 121-140
• Burland, K., & Davidson, J.W. (2001). Investigating Social Processes in Group Musical Composition. Research Studies in Music Education, 16, 46-56

Reviews

• Burland, K. (in press). Review of The Social and Applied Psychology of Music Adrian North and David Hargreaves for the British Journal of Music Education.
• Burland K. (in press). Review of Musical Development from a Lifespan Perspective edited by Heiner Gembris for British Journal of Music Education.
• Burland, K. (2006). Review of The Reflective Conservatoire: Research Studies in Music Education 4 edited by George Odam and Nicholas Bannan. British Journal of Music Education, 23 (3), 365-368.

Radio / TV broadcasts

• Guest speaker on a BBC radio 4 programme The Gift examining central influences on children's musical development (May, 2003).

Keynote & invited lectures

• Musicians' career transitions: musical identities and coping strategies. Invited paper for Research Seminar Series, Royal Northern College of Music (December 2006).
• Finding a musical identity. Invited paper at the RMA Students Conference, School of Music, University of Leeds, UK (January 2006).
• Becoming a musician: a longitudinal study investigating the career transitions of undergraduate music students. Invited paper for Postgraduate Research Seminar, School of Music, University of Leeds (October 2005).

Conference papers (oral)

• Burland, K. & Windsor, L. (2007) Performing Musical Identities. In Programme and Abstracts, PERFORMA (Conference on performance studies), Department of Communication and Art, Aveiro, Portugal, May 2007.
• Magee, W.L., & Burland, K. (2007). Integrating electronic music technologies in music therapy practice: Results of a qualitative investigation. In Programme and Abstracts, Composition and computer-assisted music-making, Society for Education, Music and Psychology Research, Birmingham (p. 4).
• Magee, W.L., & Burland, K. (2007). Identifying treatment process in the clinical application of electronic music technologies with complex disabilities. In Abstracts, Winter Meeting of the Society for Research in Rehabilitation, Sheffield (p.7). Sheffield: SRR.
• Burland, K. (2006). University to career transitions: finding a musical identity. In Programme and Abstracts, Ninth International Conference of Music Perception and Cognition, University of Bologna, Italy.
• Windsor, L. & Burland, K. (2006) Communicating a Musical Identity. In Programme and Abstracts, Music and Gesture 2. Royal Northern College of Music, U.K.
• Magee, W.L., & Burland, K. (2006). A systematic qualitative study of the application electronic music technologies in clinical music therapy. In Programme and Abstracts, Joint Summer Meeting of the British Society of Rehabilitation Medicine and The Society for Research in Rehabilitation, London (p.28). London: BSRM/SRR.
• Magee, W.L., & Burland, K. (2006). Integrating electronic music technologies in music therapy practice: Preliminary findings of a research study. In Programme and Abstracts, The Sound of Music Therapy, BSMT & APMT Annual Conference, (pp.9-10). London: BSMT Publications.
• Burland, K. (2005). A Tale of the Unexpected? A study of undergraduate music students beginning a career transition. In Programme and Abstracts, The Fourth International Research in Music Education Conference. University of Exeter, U.K.
• Burland, K. (2004). The Professional and Amateur Identity. In Programme and Abstracts, Eighth International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition. Northwestern University, Chicago.
• Burland K. & Davidson, J.W. (2004) Musical Life Transitions: Teenage to Adult Professional Involvement. In Programme and Abstracts, Eighth International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition. Northwestern University, Chicago.
• Burland, K. (2003). The Emerging Performer Identity. In Programme and Abstracts, Fifth Triennial European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music Conference. Hanover, Germany.
• Burland, K. (2002) Influential factors in professional musical development. In Programme and Abstracts, Seventh International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition. Sydney, Australia.
• Moore, D.G., Davidson, J.W., & Burland, K. (2002). Which childhood factors contribute to adult professional musical involvement? In Programme and Abstracts, Seventh International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition. Sydney, Australia.
• Burland, K., & Davidson, J.W. (2001) Training the Talented. In Programme and Abstracts, The Second International Research in Music Education Conference. University of Exeter, UK.
• Burland, K. (2000). The creative and collaborative musical identity: Investigating different social approaches to musical composition. Sixth International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition. Keele, UK.

Other

• Magee, W.L. & Burland, K. (2006). Exploring the use of electronic music technologies in clinical music therapy: Establishing definitions and scope of practice. Final report. London: Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability

• The British Academy Small Research Grant, July December 2007 Audience experience at the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues festival: investigating identity, community and participation (4974).
• The Japan Foundation Uchida Fellowship, March 2002 May 2002. Investigating cultural differences in the emerging performer identity (5,000).

• Lecturer and supervisor for the Distance Learning MA Psychology for Musicians at the University of Sheffield
• Member of the Learning to Perform advisory panel (Royal College of Music)
• Reviewer for Psychology of Music, British Journal of Music Education and Oxford University Press
• Treasurer for SEMPRE

Current Research Students

• Diane Sapiro (jointly supervised with Dr Luke Windsor): An investigation into the psychological processes that facilitate playing the piano by ear
• Emilee Simmons (jointly supervised with Dr Kevin Dawe): REM and the Alternative
• Maureen Mather (jointly supervised with Dr Luke Windsor): An investigation into the use of music to support non-musical learning goals within mainstream learning support settings
• Mary Black (jointly supervised with Dr Bryan White): 'Singing is like pole vaulting': the use and effect of imagery in choral conducting.

Abstract

Becoming a musician: a longitudinal study investigating the career transitions of undergraduate music students

This thesis examines the nature of the transition between training as an undergraduate musician and choosing whether or not to pursue a career as a professional performer. Previous studies of musical development have focused on childrens skill acquisition, but few have considered the roles of motivation, practice, and the social environment in the transition into the music profession. Musicians making early career choices are also progressing through one of the most critical life-span changes from adolescence to young adulthood and little is known about how the psychological changes occurring during this time influence a musicians development.

A two-year longitudinal study was conducted with a group of 32 musicians who, at the beginning of the study, were undergraduate music students attending either a British music college or university. Eight interviews were conducted with each of the participants. These were primarily qualitative in design, being either structured or semi-structured and the data were analysed using qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques. The findings indicate that distinct characteristics defined the musicians who chose to pursue a professional performance career which differed from those for whom music became an amateur interest. The results suggest that the four factors of motivation, musical identity, learning styles and coping strategies interact and influence the career choices of the musicians. It is suggested that an individuals musical identity and his/her coping strategies play an integral role in the process of becoming a professional or amateur musician. A Dynamic Model of Musical Identity Formation and Career Choice is proposed in order to depict and explain the complex process of becoming a professional or amateur musician in adulthood.

.pdf download (1.65 MB)

• Saxsational Saxophone Quartet (Baritone Saxophone)
• Hallam Sinfonia (Clarinet)
• Middlewood Sessions (Baritone Saxophone)