St Mary’s Academic to Chair Seminar on Careers in Music

On Wednesday 29th April, Dr Victoria Armstrong from the School of Management and Social Sciences at St Mary’s University, Twickenham is to chair a panel which will discuss careers within music. The Composers' Careers music seminar is to take place at the Ivy Arts Centre at the University of Surrey and will feature a panel consisting of British composers Graham Fitkin, Cheryl Frances-Hoad and Judith Weir CBE, the first woman appointed to the position of Master of the Queen’s Music. The panellists will discuss their own musical education, the challenges they have faced in their careers, and current issues regarding music education in UK Higher Education. Dr Armstrong’s scholarly interests encompass feminist science and technology studies, and the sociology of music, with a particular focus on gender. Her critically acclaimed book, Technology and the Gendering of Music Education, has been described as ‘provocative’ and ‘challenging’. She regularly gives conference papers nationally and internationally, and has recently given keynote addresses at the Grieg Academy, Bergen and the University of Őrebro, Sweden. She is currently working on a book provisionally titled Women’s Musical Lives, an ethnographic study exploring the working lives of contemporary female musicians in the UK. In addition, she was recently awarded a research grant from London Music Masters to undertake research exploring music provision for children in inner London schools. Dr Armstrong said, “I am delighted to have been invited to chair this august panel, and I anticipate thought-provoking discussion about the current challenges facing music education, and inspiring insights into the working lives of these important figures in British contemporary music.” The research seminar is free to attend and starts at 4pm with the panel discussion and questions from the audience, followed by a drinks reception. For more information please visit the website.