Welcome to the APME Liverpool 2025 conference. Here, you’ll be able to register for the conference and update your Sched profile. We encourage you to browse the various presentations and to create a custom schedule. If you have any questions, please visit our conference website or contact us at conference@popularmusiceducation.org We look forward to coming together as a community July 22–24, 2025!
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5 Elements of Voicework is a philosophical framework and learning methodology in vocal (personal) development informed by 5 Element and Yin Yang Theories. This model has been enriched with the integration of Polyvagal Theory; presenting scope to be utilised as a teaching resource for therapeutic practitioners and those exploring creative modalities to support trauma-experienced individuals.
Soul Jazz is an approachable and listener friendly way of entry into jazz for students unfamiliar with jazz. Students and educators of all levels will be enlightened to the vast potential of Soul Jazz to inspire and motivate those unfamiliar to learn more about Jazz.
Exploring the integration of student voice and co-construction in lower secondary music curricula, this research examines teacher and student perspectives to enhance engagement and inclusivity. Through qualitative action research, it highlights strategies for developing responsive curricula that foster collaboration, cultural relevance, and improved retention in music education.
Two presenters demonstrate and discuss their duoethnographic research practising, rehearsing and performing Beethoven’s Sonata No. 8 in C minor: Pathétique on piano and drums. They underscore the centrality of trust and relationality in meaningful musical performance and pedagogical experiences, emphasizing musical, scholarly and educational relationships based in mutuality and collaboration.
The Rural Music Project will explore the development of music ecosystems away from major city centres, utilising art school pedagogies and the concept of scenius to generate community musicking and vibrant music hubs in lesser populated locales, enriching lives through encouraging cultural interaction, economic growth and an increased sense of place.
Utilizing Critical Race Theory to conceptualize this study, rhythm and pitch—two key elements of music— are used to explore literature around the interconnectedness of capitalism and racism. A greater understanding within this study may lead to more socioacademically equitable music learning and teaching in K-12 and higher education.
In this session, we will explore a qualitative study in which high school participants in nontraditional (modern band) music classes detailed narratives related to student agency. We will discuss the findings and implications for future research.
The human voice, like a paintbrush, crafts rich auditory textures. This study explores Circle Singing methods, enhancing vocal proficiency and social-emotional skills. Participants engage in structured and improvisational vocal expression, including instrumental singing and body percussion, transforming their voices and bodies into dynamic performance tools.
This session will detail the work being done at the SENSES Project, a music/podcast creation space at Syracuse University focused on increasing sense of belonging for first generation and other marginalized student groups. The space offers free access to equipment and education around music production, DJing, podcasting, and much more.
Despite Afrobeats’ global popularity and growing scholarly attention, it remains largely absent from higher education curricula. With King’s College London as a rare exception, this paper proposes a framework for teaching Afrobeats in global academia, identifying key sources and discourses to support its transition from pop culture to the classroom.
The AIRBAG framework offers educators an approach to exploring negotiated assessment methodology with their students to help them make personlaised meaning of their learning experiences. Utilising a combination of military debrief tactics and a inquiry focussed approach, the framework helps promote criticality and agency within HE study.
How can studying the popular music tradition and encouraging students’ innovations be balanced most fruitfully? This session shows how they can feed off each other. A music tradition is like a language – our students must learn to speak it in order to join a conversation and say something innovative.
This music teacher education program includes popular music from diverse cultures throughout the curriculum. Freshmen learn guitar informally and perform cover songs in bands. Senior student teachers teach Hip Hop and Latin pop through iPad classes. The program enhances preservice teachers’ development of both comprehensive musicianship and cultural competency.
Award-winning filmmaker Martin Shore’s "Living Documentary" blends traditional filmmaking with real-time, evolving art to create interactive, dynamic storytelling. This workshop explores integrating this innovative approach into the classroom, using examples from Shore’s films Take Me To The River and Take Me To The River New Orleans and Berklee student projects.
The Power of Student Voice: Define student voice and its significance in curriculum co-construction, drawing on research findings.
Insights from the Field: Share qualitative data from teacher interviews and student focus groups to illustrate the impact of integrating student perspectives.
Discussion Catalyst: Pose questions about the barriers and opportunities for amplifying student voice in music education to inspire further conversation.
Practical Strategies: Offer actionable recommendations for educators to create inclusive and collaborative music curricula.
This session explores modern approaches to music course design, focusing on industry relevance, digital skills, and interdisciplinary collaboration. It examines how project-based learning and portfolio assessment enhance professional readiness and progression to HE. Attendees will gain practical strategies to align popular music education with the demands of today’s creative industries.
This research examines STEM skils, craft skills, and aesthetics in the translation of aspiring musikarbeiter (“music workers”) into networks of music technological employment and artistic practice. It discovers common experiences of aesthetic recruitment, technical interessement and acquisition of agency, and frames a suggestion for curriculum intent in terms of “skills/creativity/autonomy”.
This presentation explores the impact of DAWs (digital audio workstations) on contemporary music production, particularly in rap and electro. Through the study of the different types of pedagogies and practices of Ableton Live, it examines its role in creation, shared knowledge (prescribed, acquired, know-how), and its social and technical influence in modern home studios.
This interactive session will take participants through a comprehensive deconstruction of a recent Hot 100 #1 hit, utilizing the proprietary methodologies and visualization tools of Hit Songs Deconstructed. Participants will also discover unique and engaging ways to teach "pop theory" to students, making complex concepts easy to understand by using the Hit Songs Deconstructed tools themselves.
This presentation explores "Illuminated Songs," a multimodal assignment in Taylor Swift-themed courses that engages general education majors in musical and lyrical analysis. By visually annotating songs, students explore themes, narrative structures, and musical elements. This accessible, interdisciplinary strategy fosters active listening, critical engagement, and highlights the cultural relevance of popular music in education.
This session examines essential skills for success in the modern music industry, including digital literacy, entrepreneurship, networking, and resilience. Attendees will gain practical insights into aligning with industry demands, navigating emerging trends, and preparing for diverse career pathways in an increasingly competitive and dynamic global music ecosystem.
This presentation examines the potential benefits and challenges of implementing informal music learning in formal school music contexts and raises critical questions. This session may benefit school music teachers who wish to expand their music teaching horizons and accommodate music students’ diverse music learning needs and interests.
