Music and music technology
Music and Music Technology researchers at Keele have earned the University an international reputation as a centre for excellence in practice-led research in composition and technology, and text-based research in musicology.
All researchers share a focus on twentieth-century and contemporary music, with mutual interests including analysis, aesthetics, music and the moving image, narrative, social context, embodiment and gesture. In the most recent Research Excellence Framework (2014) 29% of our overall research was rated as world leading and 80% of our research Environment was deemed to be of internationally excellent and world-leading quality. We welcome expressions of interest from any student interested in postgraduate study relating to one or more of our areas of research specialism (see below).
Composition and technology
Creative music technology at Keele comprises a team of practitioners with worldwide reputations. While all of our composers are active in music technology, the balance of output between sound-based and acoustic composition varies between staff members. The music created at Keele is thus diverse, ranging from orchestral composition to acousmatic music, audiovisual works to digital interfaces for musical expression. The group continues to develop new forms of live processing and composition for multi-channel environments.This forms part of a longer-term strategy to develop research towards time-based multimedia and and digital compositions combining music and visuals.
For more details, see the individual profiles of Manuella Blackburn, Miroslav Spasov and Sohrab Uduman.
Musicology
The musicology research group at Keele enjoys a leading reputation for its combined expertise in music analysis, philosophy, cultural history, aesthetics, ethnomusicology, music from Germany, Poland, and Peru. We share a focus on the twentieth century (in the context of its precursors and successors), and we have published monographs, edited collections, articles, score guides, web articles and book chapters exploring common themes such as modernity, tradition, identity, narrative and embodiment.
For more details, see the individual profiles of Fiorella Montero-Diaz and Alastair Williams.
Software
Not only are our academic staff are active researchers, but also software creators! Check out the free software created by Music lecturers Rajmil Fischman and also Miroslav Spasov.
Keele Music Forum
Keele Music Forum (KMF) invites speakers representing the breadth of music and music technology research. This research fora runs year-round with four research presentations per semester. Incoming guests since 2014 have included Fabrice Fitch (RNCM), Anne Hyland (University of Manchester), Miguel Mera (City University), Luis-Manuel Garcia (University of Birmingham) and Henry Stobart (Royal Holloway). Staff and PGR students within the unit are encouraged to share research in this nurturing and supportive environment.
Software
Not only are our academic staff are active researchers, but also software creators! Check out the free software created by Music lecturers Rajmil Fischman and also Miroslav Spasov.
Keele Music Forum
Keele Music Forum (KMF) invites speakers representing the breadth of music and music technology research. This research fora runs year-round with four research presentations per semester. Incoming guests since 2014 have included Fabrice Fitch (RNCM), Anne Hyland (University of Manchester), Miguel Mera (City University), Luis-Manuel Garcia (University of Birmingham) and Henry Stobart (Royal Holloway). Staff and PGR students within the unit are encouraged to share research in this nurturing and supportive environment.