She was formerly Senior Lecturer in Psychology and Associate Director of the Unit for the Study of Musical Skill and Development at Keele University, UK. Her research interests include motivation, identity, and gender issues associated with young people's development and engagement in music. She has published widely in the fields of music psychology and music education. She is currently Director of Research for Youth, Music and Education (RYME) and she is Senior Editor of the Biennial Book Series for the Canadian Music Educators Association (CMEA).