Shared Notes: Autism and Music Education Research

alexlupo
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This podcast series is intended to accompany our AHRC funded research project ‘Musical Connections: Nurturing Musical Culture in Autism Resource Bases across the UK through Participatory Action Research’. This research project is a joint collaboration between Live Music Now and the University of South Wales.  Each episode will be hosted by Dr Beth Pickard from the University of South Wales and Alex Lupo from Live Music Now. 

Episodes

  1. Jul 17

    Episode 6 - The role of songs in inclusive music making

    Welcome to episode 6 of our podcast, where we are reflecting on an example from practice which has provided us with food for thought in relation to our values-based approach. We are reflecting on the notion of songs in inclusive music workshops: their potential and limitations. We discuss considerations around power, style, flexibility, agency, and choice.  During the episode we mention Count Me In! which is a series of resources for making music inclusively with children and young people with learning difficulties, based on the Sounds of Intent Levels of musical development.  The resource is able to purchase online here: https://www.routledge.com/Count-Me-In-Resources-for-Making-Music-Inclusively-with-Children-and-Young-People-with-Learning-Difficulties/Ockelford-Gray-Cohen-Mai/p/book/9781032215488 Here are the free online Count Me In! resources from the Sounds of Intent website: https://soundsofintent.org/count-me-in/ Live Music Now are currently delivering a number of Count Me In! projects across the UK: https://www.livemusicnow.org.uk/count-me-in/ You can read about the Count Me In! pilot research conducted by Dr Beth Pickard through Live Music Now here: https://www.livemusicnow.org.uk/count-me-in-pilot/

    Episode 6 - The role of songs in inclusive music making

  2. Mar 30

    Episode 5 - Shared Values

    In this episode we explore the shared values that will sit underneath our delivery model as we head into the 2 residency projects in Wales and Northern Ireland.

    Episode 5 - Shared Values

  3. Mar 6

    Episode 4 - With Special guest Fatima Lahham

    In this episode we have a wonderful conversation with Fatima Lahham, a member of our steering group of autistic musicians.

    Episode 4 - With Special guest Fatima Lahham

  4. 10/30/2025

    Episode 3 – The Current Landscape: Online Survey Results

    Thank you for returning to engage with the third episode of the podcast accompanying our AHRC funded research project ‘Musical Connections: Nurturing Musical Culture in Autism Resource Bases across the UK through Participatory Action Research’.  During this episode, Beth and Alex discuss the results from an online survey which was open during September 2025 and received over 100 responses from Autism Resource Bases (or regional equivalent) across all four nations of the UK. We extend our sincere thanks to all who contributed and shared so generously of their time and knowledge. We mention again the following research article which was influential in shaping the online survey design:  Webber, S. C. & Hopkins, E. J. (2025) An Examination of Access to Music Education in Elementary Self-Contained Special Education Classrooms in Ohio. Contributions to music education. 50, p. 141–157. The map mentioned during the podcast is available at the following link, and plots the approximate location of the settings which contributed to the survey, offering an overview of the geographical spread of responses:  https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1pGxlAWKtZOBu-WrYVKxaWAcyzgea5Tg&usp=sharing

    Episode 3 – The Current Landscape: Online Survey Results

  5. 09/11/2025

    Episode 2 – Practice-Based Evidence and Evidence-Based Practice

    Thank you for returning to engage with the second episode of the podcast accompanying our AHRC funded research project ‘Musical Connections: Nurturing Musical Culture in Autism Resource Bases across the UK through Participatory Action Research’.  During this episode, Beth and Alex discuss some research papers which discuss the experiences of pupils and teachers in Autism Resource Bases (or “self-contained classrooms”).  Here are links to some of the articles discussed (please note that some of the full articles are unfortunately behind a paywall):  Grimsby, R. (2025). The songbird and the percussionist: Listening to and implementing non-speakers’ musical preferences. International Journal of Education & the Arts, 26(16). http://doi.org/10.26209/ijea26n16 Knapp, E. J. (2025). “There is no manual for this”: Teaching students with disabilities in self-contained classroom settings. Research Studies in Music Education, 47(2), 170-185. https://doi.org/10.1177/1321103X251328959 Salvador, K. (2015). Music instruction for elementary students with moderate to severe cognitive impairments: A case study. Research Studies in Music Education, 37(2), 161-174. https://doi.org/10.1177/1321103X15613645  Webber, S. C. & Hopkins, E. J. (2025) An Examination of Access to Music Education in Elementary Self-Contained Special Education Classrooms in Ohio. Contributions to music education. 50, p. 141–157.

    Episode 2 – Practice-Based Evidence and Evidence-Based Practice

  6. 09/11/2025

    Episode 1 – Setting the Scene

    Episode 1 – Setting the Scene Thank you for engaging with the first episode of the podcast accompanying our AHRC funded research project ‘Musical Connections: Nurturing Musical Culture in Autism Resource Bases across the UK through Participatory Action Research’.  Here is a link to our AHRC-funded project being announced on the University of Southampton’s AHRC Hub for Public Engagement with Music Research website: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/research/institutes-centres/ahrc-hub-for-public-engagement-with-music-research/musical-connections Here is a link to our AHRC-funded project’s announcement on Live Music Now’s website: https://www.livemusicnow.org.uk/live-music-now-awarded-ahrc-grant-to-expand-music-education-in-autism-resource-bases/#:~:text=Back%20to%20News-,Live%20Music%20Now%20Awarded%20AHRC%20Grant%20to,Education%20in%20Autism%20Resource%20Bases&text=We%20are%20delighted%20to%20have,Music%20Education%20and%20Social%20Justice. Here is a link to information about the Autism Resource Bases programme on Live Music Now’s website: https://www.livemusicnow.org.uk/autism-resource-bases-music-programme/

    Episode 1 – Setting the Scene
  • 6 Episodes

About

This podcast series is intended to accompany our AHRC funded research project ‘Musical Connections: Nurturing Musical Culture in Autism Resource Bases across the UK through Participatory Action Research’. This research project is a joint collaboration between Live Music Now and the University of South Wales.  Each episode will be hosted by Dr Beth Pickard from the University of South Wales and Alex Lupo from Live Music Now. 

Information