Research
Residency Reflections
by Ms Thandeka Mfinyongo From December 2024 to March 2025, I participated in a four-month residency at the Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence at the University of Bayreuth, Germany. My residency formed part of a broader artistic-research project titled Ingoduko, a...
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From the heart of the organist: practical guidelines for improvisation during worship services
This article by Ms Rineke Viljoen on improvisation for church organists was published in the December 2024 issue of To the Director of Music, the journal of the Southern African Church and Concert Organists Society. The article explores organ improvisation as a...
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Relationality in postgraduate supervision
Prof Mignon van Vreden attended the 9th Biennial Postgraduate Supervision Conference during the last week of March in Stellenbosch which focused on the interaction and relations between the different stakeholders as they generate knowledge together. On this theme, she...
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The interplay between flow states in music listening experiences and self-actualisation: an autoethnography of a queer music educator
This study by Prof Conroy Cupido, published in SAMUS 43/44, delves into the interplay between flow states, positive emotions, and peak experiences in music listening, and sheds light on the novel application of autoethnography as method and its capacity to generate...
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The changing nature of celebrity in musical theatre: the development of star casting
Celebrity casting in musical theatre is and always will be a hot topic among fans of the genre. However, this is not a new phenomenon. Celebrities and stars have been cast in music theatre shows since the beginning of the artform. So, what has changed that has caused...
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A theory of joyful experiences in Dalcroze Eurhythmics
"My life's work" — This is how Prof Liesl van der Merwe describes her latest research article, published less than two weeks ago in the International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being. This "theory of joyful experiences in Dalcroze Eurhythmics"...
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A pianist’s technique rehabilitation after post-traumatic stress: an autoethnographic study
Prof Liesl van der Merwe and Master's graduate Ms Carla Lewis published this article in Qualitative Health Research in January 2024. This study is a personal account of a professional pianist who experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), emphasising the...
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Sharing vulnerability: A duoethnographic enquiry into the development of digital competencies at a South African university
Prof Janelize Morelli and Dr Kristien Andrianatos (NWU School of Languages) published an article in the journal Critical Studies in Teaching & Learning titled "Sharing vulnerability: A duoethnographic enquiry into the development of digital competencies at a South...
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Clients’ experiences of Music and Imagery (MI) sessions
Prof Liesl van der Merwe and PhD graduate, Dr Petra Jerling, recently published an article titled “Clients’ experiences of Music and Imagery (MI) sessions: An integrative literature review” in Approaches: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Music Therapy. Music has the...
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Is there a sonic climate of Zulu history?
Prof Chris van Rhyn (Director, MASARA Focus Area, NWU) and Prof Willemien Froneman (NWU alumna and Associate Professor in the Centre for the Study of the Afterlife of Violence and the Reparative Quest (AVReQ) at Stellenbosch University) co-authored an article that was...
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A duoethnography about musicking at an older adult care home during COVID-19
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people felt lonely, but older adults in care homes were especially isolated due to lockdown restrictions. Community musicians also struggled because they could no longer perform or interact with people through music. In this study,...
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A Framework for Positive Music Education
Prof Ewie Erasmus [above, left] and Prof Liesl van der Merwe [right] were the guest editors of a special edition of the International Journal of Education & the Arts on positive psychology and music education that was published earlier this year. Eleven of the authors...
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