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Raymond MacDonald
Raymond MacDonald is professor of music psychology and improvisation at Edinburgh University and lectures and runs workshops internationally. He is also a saxophonist and composer who has released over 60 CDs and toured and broadcast worldwide and has written music for film, television, theatre, radio and art installations. His ongoing research focuses on issues relating to improvisation, musical communication, music health and well-being, music education and musical identities. He studies the processes and outcomes of music participation and music listening and has a particular interest in collaborative creativity. His work is informed by a view of improvisation as a social, collaborative and uniquely creative process that provides opportunities to develop new ways of thinking and working creatively. He has published over 70 peer-reviewed papers and has co-edited five texts, Musical Identities (2002), Musical Communication (2005), Musical Imaginations (2012), Music Health and Wellbeing (2012) and The Handbook of Musical Identities (2017). He was editor of the Journal Psychology of Music between 2006 and 2012 and head of music at the University of Edinburgh 2013–17. His recent book (co-authored with Graeme Wilson) is titled The Art of The Becoming: How Group Improvisation Works.
Contact: Reid School of Music, The University of Edinburgh, Alison House, Edinburgh, EH8 9DF, United Kingdom.