Naomi Norton
Lecturer in Music Education

Profile

Biography

Dr Naomi Norton (married name: Underwood) studied at the University of Leeds between 2007 and 2012 during which time she completed a BA in Music (2011) and a MMus in the Applied Psychology of Music (2012, supported by a Santander scholarship). Her subsequent doctoral studies at the Royal Northern College of Music (award validated by Manchester Metropolitan University) were fully-funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. This research focused on an exploration of health-related topics in instrumental and vocal music lessons from the perspectives of teachers in the United Kingdom. Naomi is currently a committee member for the International Society for Music Education (ISME) Music Health and Wellness (MHW) Special Interest Group (SIG).

Naomi is now a musician with a varied portfolio that includes teaching, research, consultancy, and performance. The driving force behind her diverse professional activities is the belief that no one should be denied the opportunity to progress to the level of musical proficiency that they desire: this could relate to health and wellbeing, social and financial status, or any other aspect perceived as a barrier.  

School Roles

• School Wellbeing Lead
• Musicians' Health and Wellness Coordinator
• Chair of the Musicians' Health and Wellness Group

Publications

Selected publications

Doctoral Thesis

Norton, N. C. (2016). Health promotion in instrumental and vocal music lessons: The teacher’s perspective (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Royal Northern College of Music and Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester. Available here.

Peer-reviewed Publications

Norton, N. C. (published 2021). Chapter 25: Ensemble musicians’ health and wellness. In R. Timmers, F. Bailes, & H. Daffern (Eds.), Together in Music. Oxford University Press.

Norton, N. C. (2020). Considering musicians’ health and wellness literature through the lens of the Behaviour Change Wheel. Journal of Music, Health, and Wellbeing, Autumn, 1-25. Available here.

Norton, N., Ginsborg, J., and Greasley, A. (2019). Instrumental and vocal teachers in the United Kingdom: Demographic characteristics, educational pathways, and beliefs about qualification requirements. Music Education Research, 21(5), 560-581. Available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/14613808.2019.1656181.

Norton, N. C. (2016). Health promotion for musicians: Engaging with the teacher’s perspective. The Reflective Conservatoire: Arts and Humanities as Higher Education Peer-reviewed Digital Special Issue. Available online at http://www.artsandhumanities.org/journal/ahhe-special-issue-june-2016/.

Norton, N. C., Ginsborg, J., Greasley, A., and McEwan, I. (2015a). Instrumental and vocal teachers’ views on a multidisciplinary team approach to health promotion for musicians. In J. Ginsborg, A. Lamont, M. Phillips, and S. Bramley (Eds.), Proceedings of the Ninth Triennial Conference of the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music (ESCOM). Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, UK, 17-22 August.

Norton, N. C., Ginsborg, J., Greasley, A. E., and McEwan, I. (2015b). Health and wellness education for musicians: Investigating music teachers’ perspectives. In J. Ginsborg, A. Lamont, M. Phillips, and S. Bramley (Eds.), Proceedings of the Ninth Triennial Conference of the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music (ESCOM). Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, UK, 17-22 August.

Norton, N. C. and Greasley, A. E. (2014). The BAPAM Student Advocate Scheme: Reflections on a health promotion initiative at the University of Leeds. BAPAM Journal, 2, 38-48.

Peer-reviewed Conference Presentations

Matei, R., Francis, J., Larsson, A., Norton, N.C., and Shoebridge, A. (2016). Health promotion among musicians: Opportunities for health psychology. Roundtable symposium at the European Health Psychology Society Conference, Aberdeen, August 2016.

Norton, N. C., and Ginsborg, J. (2016). Qualifications of instrumental and vocal teachers in the UK. Oral presentation at the ISME World Conference, Glasgow, UK, July 2016.

Norton, N. C., and Ginsborg, J. (2016). Conducting a health promotion training day for instrumental and vocal teachers in the UK: A case study. Oral presentation at the ISME World Conference, Glasgow, UK, July 2016.

Norton, N. C., Bastepe-Gray, S., Douglas, J., Ginsborg, J. Joly, C., Lister-Sink, B., and Shoebridge, A. (2016). Health promotion for musicians: Working together. Roundtable symposium at the International Society for Music Education (ISME) World Conference, Glasgow, UK, July 2016.

Norton, N., Ginsborg, J., and Greasley A. (2016). The health of instrumental and vocal music teachers. Oral presentation at the PAMA International Symposium, New York, NY, July 2016.

Norton, N. C., Ginsborg, J., Greasley, A. E., and McEwan, I. (2015). Fit to teach: the health of instrumental and vocal teachers. Oral presentation at the SEMPRE Music and Health Conference, October 2015.

Norton, N. C., Ginsborg, J., Greasley, A. E., and McEwan, I. (2015). Instrumental and vocal music teachers’ views on a multidisciplinary team approach to health promotion for musicians. Oral presentation at the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music Conference, August 2015.

Norton, N. C. (2015). The other side of the coin: Promoting musicians’ health by investigating instrumental and vocal teachers’ perspectives on health education. Oral presentation at the Reflective Conservatoire Conference 2015, Saturday 28th February 2015.

Norton, N. C. (2014). Health education in instrumental and vocal music lessons: The teacher’s perspective. Oral presentation at the International Society for Music Education World Conference, Porto Alegre, Brazil, Tuesday 22nd July 2014.

Norton, N. C. (2014). Health education in instrumental and vocal music lessons: The teacher’s perspective. Oral presentation at the Music Education Expo, Barbican Centre London, Saturday 8th February 2014.

Research

Overview

• Musicians' Health and Wellbeing
• Music Psychology
• Music Education

Teaching

Undergraduate

• BA Music course (as part of the Musicians' Health and Wellness and Creative and Professional Practice modules) 

Postgraduate

• MA Music Education courses (Instrumental and Vocal Teaching and Group Teaching and Leadership)
• MA Community Music and MA Vocal Studies pathway