My research is situated at the intersection of music education, music production, technology, and self-directed learning. I completed my Ph.D. in Music Education at the University of Calgary, where my doctoral research investigated the learning experiences and challenges of autodidactic music producers, with particular attention to beginners developing skills in multitrack mixing outside formal educational environments. My broader research interests include music production pedagogy, DIY music production, technology-mediated learning, popular music composition and arrangement, and the educational challenges associated with contemporary home-studio practices.

My doctoral study employed a Grounded Theory approach, drawing on survey and interview data to examine how self-directed producers develop knowledge, overcome technical and educational barriers, and adapt their learning strategies over time. The research explored issues including language barriers, learning in isolation, trial-and-error practices, software and system compatibility, access to appropriate learning resources, and the influence of a learner’s first Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). A central concept emerging from the research was Autodidactic Resilience and Adaptation, describing the ways independent learners develop cognitive, emotional, and strategic approaches to persist through the complexity of learning music production. The project also examined how peer-learning environments, scaffolding, accessible resources, and more inclusive platform design could better support independent music-production learners.

Beyond my own doctoral work, I have also contributed to faculty-led and collaborative research projects at the University of Calgary as a Graduate Research Assistant and Graduate Assistant. My research experience has included supporting project development, data collection and organization, qualitative and quantitative analysis, documentation and reporting, as well as technical work related to audio recording, editing, mixing, and research-based music technology projects. These roles provided experience working collaboratively with faculty researchers while connecting academic inquiry with the practical and technological dimensions of music and audio production. My broader graduate work involved research-project support alongside teaching and other academic responsibilities within the University of Calgary environment.