Dr Catherine Preston is Lecturer in Music Education on the MA in Music Education programme, Institute of Education, University College London. Her wide-ranging roles and responsibilities within music and education include appointments as a teacher-trainer, lecturer in Music Education, music adviser and instrumental teacher as well as leading arts faculties in several high schools in the North West of England. Throughout her career, she has conducted a range of undergraduate and postgraduate study and research. She was awarded a scholarship to study at Keele University for MSc in Music Psychology and has several degrees with The Open University including MA in Education, BA (Hons) in Humanities and BA (Hons) in Psychology.
Catherine completed her doctorate with in 2010. Her thesis applies the concept of flow to investigate into the nature and quality of children’s experiences of group composing in the secondary classroom. Flow, also termed optimal experience, is a subjective state that people report when they are completely involved in something to the point of losing track of time and of being unaware of everything else but the activity itself. Investigating flow provides insights into the quality of experience. In the music classroom, investigating flow can provide insights into the situated nature of pupils’ ‘in the moment’ experiences of collaborative work. Overall, the research contributes to increased understandings of how pupils collaborate in class music lessons and how group work can be enhanced by encouraging teachers to recognise and understand the importance of ‘speaking though music’.
In 2013, she contributed to the Ashgate book Developing the Musician, edited by Mary Stakelum. Drawing on her thesis, her chapter, Ryan’s not Counting – it’s Eight Beats on C, investigates verbal and musical interactions between students as they work together on a classroom composing project. Her findings provide a deeper understanding of the purpose, content and enjoyment of collaborative learning in the music classroom.
Catherine has presented her research at national and international conferences and published in academic and professional journals and conference proceedings.
Catherine is also a flautist, conductor and choir leader and is a founder member of Tooti Flooti, based in Manchester. She has performed with several Manchester orchestras as principal flautist and as a soloist. Her most recent performance was with harpist and long-time colleague, Maxine Molin, playing Mozart’s Flute and Harp Concerto in Manchester for the third time.
special interests
Music Service Provision, Conducting and Performing, Community Music Projects.
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