Dr Jennifer MacRitchie

Position

Senior Research Fellow for the Health and Wellbeing theme. Affiliated with the Music Cognition and Action program at the MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development.

Biography

Dr Jennifer MacRitchie is a school-based member of MARCS and holds the position of Senior Research Fellow in Health and Wellbeing at Western Sydney University, based in the School of Humanities and Communication Arts. With a background in both electrical engineering and music, her research focuses on the acquisition and development of motor skills in instrumental performance, and how these can be used to promote health and wellbeing. Studies range from looking at movements of novices to experts, from those who have studied music from a young age to those who are rediscovering music in retirement.

Jennifer serves as Associate Editor of Frontiers in Psychology, Performance Science, and is on the editorial board of Musicae Scientiae. She has conducted research in a variety of environments, completing her doctoral work in University of Glasgow's Science and Music Research group, and a postdoctoral position at the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano, Switzerland.

Jennifer is also an experienced pianist, having performed concertos by Grieg, Shostakovich and Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with amateur orchestras in Glasgow, UK, as well as regular performances with chamber groups in the UK, Switzerland and Australia.

Research Interests

• Music performance analysis
• Music and movement/gesture
• Music education
• Motion capture
• Music perception and cognition
• Piano touch

Qualifications and Recognition

• PhD, 'Elucidating Musical Structure through the Empirical Measurement of Performance Parameters', Science and Music Research Group, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, UK. 2006-2010
• M.Eng in Electronics with Music, University of Glasgow, UK. 2001-2006

Research and Publications

• For a complete list of my publications please see my publications page (opens in a new window)
• View my ResearchGate profile (opens in a new window)

Contact