The Music Department of the School of Culture and Creativity at BNBU recently hosted a lecture by Dr. Katy Ieong Cheng Ho Weatherly, Assistant Professor of Music and Music Education at the University of Macau. Titled From Curiosity to Music Education Research: Introducing Empirical Research Through Experience and Reflection, the session invited students and staff to consider research not as something distant from musical practice, but as a way of thinking that can grow out of everyday learning, performance, and reflection.

Drawing on her background in both performance and music education, Dr. Weatherly introduced the idea that research can help musicians become more thoughtful and self-aware in their artistic and academic development. During the lecture, she encouraged students to see research not simply as a formal academic requirement, but as a means of asking deeper questions about their own practice, learning processes, and future directions. As noted in the session, this is particularly relevant for students who may go on to postgraduate study, but it also speaks more broadly to the role of inquiry in musical training.

A distinctive feature of the lecture was its interactive format. Through a series of live surveys and guided reflections, participants were invited to respond to questions about musical identity, learning influences, talent, motivation, technology, and the ways in which people learn music today. These responses became a starting point for wider discussion, allowing students to connect abstract research concepts with their own experiences as learners and performers.

The lecture also introduced several common approaches in music education research, including interviews, observation, surveys, and case-based inquiry. Rather than focusing only on methods in the abstract, Dr. Weatherly guided students toward a practical understanding of how research topics can be developed—by bringing together personal interests, underexplored questions, and local contexts. In this way, the session highlighted curiosity as a meaningful starting point for research and encouraged students to think about how their own experiences might lead to more sustained academic inquiry.

For the Music Department, lectures of this kind are an important part of broadening students’ understanding of what music study can involve. Beyond performance training, they open up space for reflection, research awareness, and wider academic exploration, helping students connect their musical practice with new ways of thinking and learning.

Hosted by the BNBU Music Department, the lecture formed part of the department’s ongoing efforts to provide students with a richer academic environment alongside their artistic training. By creating opportunities for dialogue between performance, education, and research, the department continues to support a broader and more reflective approach to music study.

Written by: Sienna Xuanxuan Wu

Layout & Editing: Sienna Xuanxuan Wu