As part of AMPS’ ongoing commitment to community engagement, Member Tam Nguyen and Community Engagement Chair Dr Isabella Mazzarolo recently visited Conservatorium High School to introduce students in Years 10–12 to the field of music psychology through an interactive 1.5-hour workshop.
The workshop began by exploring what music psychology is, how students can engage with the field through future study, and the diverse career pathways available. For these young musicians, the session provided an opportunity to consider music from a different perspective – not only as something they perform, but as something that shapes emotions, attention, behaviour, and everyday experiences. Students were particularly engaged by the opportunity to unpack questions they encounter in everyday life as musicians and listeners, enthusiastically discussing ideas such as why music can improve our mood, why we sometimes seek out sad music, and why certain songs become stuck in our heads.
The workshop then turned towards an area particularly relevant to the students as performers: musicians’ health and wellbeing. Drawing on their own research, Tam and Isabella introduced students to topics including performance-related pain and injury, and music performance anxiety. These discussions encouraged students to reflect on their own experiences and challenged common assumptions about the realities of a career in music. Teachers also contributed their own perspectives, sharing experiences of how physical injuries have impacted performance careers and reinforcing the importance of understanding musicians’ health from an early stage.
One of the highlights of the workshop was inviting students to develop their own research questions. Their responses demonstrated both curiosity and creativity, with students exploring topics including synaesthesia, how performance anxiety manifests, and performance preparation techniques. These discussions highlighted how everyday experiences as musicians can become the starting point for meaningful research.
For Tam, the visit was particularly significant as an alumnus of Conservatorium High School. Having experienced the uncertainty of pursuing a future in music beyond performance or teaching, Tam saw the workshop as an opportunity to introduce students to alternative ways of remaining connected with music. Feedback from teachers and the school principal highlighted how valuable it was for students to see that there are many ways to build a meaningful connection with music beyond performance, and that fields such as music psychology can offer exciting and fulfilling pathways.
This workshop reflects AMPS’ broader mission to bring music psychology beyond university and research settings and into the wider community. By connecting with young musicians, AMPS hopes to raise awareness of the discipline, inspire future pathways, and demonstrate how curiosity about music can lead to new ways of understanding and contributing to the field.