Journey to the Research

As a musician, I have spent 25 years studying, improvising and teaching in the jazz lexicon, twenty of them in New York City. Deeply immersed in jazz performance, improvisation, and teaching, I’ve experienced firsthand the mental, physical, and emotional demands of a career in music. Balancing these pressures with the responsibility of educating others—whether leading ensembles or mentoring individual students—added new layers to my understanding of the challenges musicians face. The realities of financial instability, isolation, and performance anxiety sparked my curiosity about the intersection of music, mental health, and education, leading me to explore the field of music psychology.

Music psychology examines how music impacts the brain, behavior, and wellbeing. It shares parallels with sports psychology, yet musicians rarely receive the mental health support athletes do, despite facing similar performance pressures. As an educator, I saw these challenges reflected in my students, from performance anxiety to the pressures of achieving mastery. This inspired me to better understand how to foster resilience and mental wellbeing in the musicians I teach.

In 2019, while balancing international tours and teaching overseas, I discovered this research field and began a master’s program at the University of Sheffield. During the coursework, I was struck by how deeply music psychology informed both my teaching practices and my own mental health. My dissertation, a mixed-methods study on the mental health of New York City jazz musicians, revealed systemic inequities and a lack of resources, insights that have since shaped my advocacy and teaching philosophy.

Today, as an educator and researcher, I integrate music psychology into my work, aiming to empower students and professionals alike with tools to navigate the demands of a music career. By presenting my research globally and collaborating with organizations like the Music Workers’ Alliance, I strive to advocate for better support systems, fostering a healthier and more sustainable future for musicians and educators.