Helen Farrell

Helen was born in Adelaide, South Australia. She has had a lifelong fascination for music as performer, teacher and researcher.

Underrepresentation of evidence-based research and inquiry in the unique and highly specialised focus of Music in Special Education, neglected for many years as “... too hard ...”, is surprising given a long-standing interest in music in therapy, and music in medicine; and the body of research and inquiry in neuroscience and cognitive psychology that suggests musical development and learning is one of the core characteristics of the human condition.

Helen embarked on a bold and insightful higher degree research (HDR) path that has investigated development and learning in children and young people with the many classifications of complex developmental and acquired disability and/or impairment from the perspective of a social scientist. Research and scholarship includes admission to an equivalent Qualified Teaching Status (QTS) qualification in primary school teaching; postgraduate qualifications in Music Education, and Special and Inclusive Education; and the degree of PhD in the University of Melbourne.

Career spans long experience in school/educational settings in a range of leadership and service roles with high levels of responsibility within and across teams as classroom teacher, music teacher/coordinator/administrator, professional development coordinator/administrator and curriculum coordinator/administrator in the education and training of children and young people with complex special needs, e.g., autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs), behaviour disorders and high support needs; primary schooling; and early childhood development.

Helen has worked on research and evaluation; project management; regularly invited leader, participant and/or contracted researcher in significant and successful policy and professional practice communities, e.g., fair, valid, quality and credible curriculum, assessment and reporting frameworks; and advocacy within and across public, corporate and community (NGOs/not-for-profit/charities) sectors. She has enjoyed contribution to sectors through involvement on Advisory Groups and Boards of Management.

Helen is Research Fellow in the Music, Mind and Wellbeing (MMW)/Music and Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory/National Music Therapy Research Unit (NaMTRU)/Melbourne Neuroscience Institute (MNI) collabatorium.

The initiative links the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music (MCM); the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences (MSPS); and the Melbourne Graduate School of Education (MGSE) in a unique set of innovative international, regional and national interprofessional/interdisciplinary collaborations in its bold agenda of research and scholarship; learning and teaching; and engagement (knowledge transfer; and leadership and service) across music, science, health, education and industry.