Dr Helen Thomas

I am interested in devising novel methods and techniques to capture fluctuations in performers' and listeners' sense of subjective wellbeing prior, during, and after participation in musical experiences in order to better understand the popular assertion that the arts are somehow good for us. Ageing Creatively

What does it mean to talk or write about music? Recent developments in cognitive linguistics methodologies open up new possibilities for analysis of discourse around music. I am particularly interested in why and how composers talk about their work. My PhD and subsequent research has focused on analysis of composers' discourse as a means for interrogating composer intentionality and its potential effects on listening strategies.