BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk//
X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Understanding Eco-Music Listening: The Role of Musical Engagement 
 in Ecological Orientation - Nicola Dibben (University of Sheffield)
DTSTART:20260303T170000Z
DTEND:20260303T180000Z
UID:TALK245113@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:125293
DESCRIPTION:*Abstract*\n\nAs climate change increasingly threatens global 
 security\, "eco-musicking" has emerged as a medium for environmental engag
 ement. While scholars and practitioners suggest that music fosters ecologi
 cal commitment\, empirical evidence regarding its psychological and social
  functioning remains sparse.\n\nThis talk explores how music listening fac
 ilitates reflexivity and might help shape and sustain ecological orientati
 on. Presenting findings from a multi-method study (N=171) of audiences dur
 ing Scottish musician Erland Cooper’s commercial releases (2023-24)\, I 
 draw on environmental psychology and a "music-in-social-action" approach t
 o investigate the music's affective and reflexive potential. The research 
 reveals that the music acts as a reflexive resource for listeners\, activa
 ting ecological identity and connections to themes of "Nature\, Time\, and
  Place" in the context of what are perceived to be depleted social and nat
 ural environments\, and prompting reflection on non-human agency\, ecologi
 cal guilt\, and hope.\n\nRather than a sudden catalyst for change\, I argu
 e that music listening can function as a reflexive encounter that brings e
 nvironmental values into awareness\, sustaining and perhaps shifting ecolo
 gical orientation slowly and incrementally. I conclude by proposing an int
 egrative model of eco-music listening\, while remaining critical of the re
 ductive optimism that positions music as a driver of pro-environmental beh
 aviour.\n\nThe research design and data collection discussed in this talk 
 was conducted with Dr Jacob Kingsbury Downs (University of Oxford) and Dr 
 Landon Peck (University of Sheffield).\n\n*Biography*\n\nProfessor Nicola 
 Dibben is a musicologist specialising in music cognition\, popular music s
 tudies\, and music digitalisation. Her research uses empirical methods and
  music analysis to investigate how values and identities are encountered a
 nd shaped through music listening. A former editor of Empirical Musicology
  Review and Popular Music\, her publications include Music and Mind in Eve
 ryday Life (2010)\, Sounds Icelandic (2019) and the monograph Björk (2009
 )\, which led to a collaboration on Björk’s Biophilia (2011) album-app.
  Her recent work explores music listening in XR\, synthetic media\, and as
 sistive AI music generation. She provided academic leadership at the Unive
 rsity of Sheffield as Faculty Director of Research and Innovation (2018-20
 25) and serves on Research Excellence Framework assessment subpanels for m
 usic (2014-2029). Her international recognition includes an honorary docto
 rate from the University of Oslo.\n\n*Zoom link*\n\nhttps://zoom.us/j/9943
 3440421?pwd=ZWxCQXFZclRtbjNXa0s2K1Q2REVPZz09 (Meeting ID: 994 3344 0421\; 
 Passcode: 714277)
LOCATION:CMS computer room\, Faculty of Music (11 West Road\, Cambridge\, 
 CB3 9DP)
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR