Practice Research – What Is It?
Practice research (sometimes called practice-based or practice-led research) is a way of generating knowledge through the creative process itself. In music, this means that composing, performing, producing, or curating are not just outcomes but methods of enquiry. The creative act becomes the primary way of investigating questions—whether exploring musical identities, technologies, audiences, or creative decision-making. Crucially, practice research involves both doing and reflecting: you create music to find things out, and you reflect on that process to share insights with others. Documentation (such as recordings, performance notes, or reflective commentaries) helps communicate how artistic practice contributes to understanding wider issues in music and culture.
Case Study Spotlight: Dr Jo Collinson Scott (aka Jo Mango)
Dr Jo Collinson Scott’s work demonstrates how songwriting and performance can function as research. As both a scholar and performing artist (Jo Mango), she uses creative music-making to explore complex social themes such as crime, reintegration, climate change, and mental health. Through projects like Distant Voices – Coming Home and Fields of Green, she shows how collaborative songwriting can generate empathy, dialogue, and public understanding around difficult topics. Her approach combines emotional insight, ethical reflection, and artistic practice to reveal how music itself can produce new forms of knowledge and social connection.
You can read more about her work in this interview here https://songwritingstudies.com/songwriting-as-research/
Recommended Reading:
- Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). (2021). Guidelines for Practice Research in the Arts. https://www.ukri.org
Candy, L. (2006). Practice-Based Research: A Guide. Creativity & Cognition Studios, University of Technology Sydney.
Nelson, R. (2013). Practice as Research in the Arts: Principles, Protocols, Pedagogies, Resistances. Palgrave Macmillan.
Collinson Scott, J. (2021). Songwriting as Method: Exploring the Emotional and Ethical Dimensions of Practice Research in Music. University of the West of Scotland. ORCID profile
