Student profiles
Alex Chapman
Blog: https://alextalksaboutwhilsthyperfocused.substack.com
Email: alex.chapman_music@outlook.com
Instagram: AlexTalksAbout
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/alexchapman-musicaccess
Thesis Title
Institution
Supervisors
Professor Pamela Heaton (RNCM/Goldsmiths)
Professor Jane Ginsborg (RNCM)
Pete Sparkes (Drake Music Scotland)
Research Summary
Many neurodivergent individuals share a significant trait that may result in preferred absence from society: auditory processing challenges. However, management of those challenges can sometimes pose an issue when engaging with society.
Through a Collaborative Doctoral Award with Drake Music Scotland, Alex seeks to understand how neurodivergent musicians and audiences manage their auditory processing experiences in society and live music settings. Through inclusive community and methodological practice, exploration of experiences and experimentation of device testing and management strategies will aim to reduce their discomfort within public spaces and live music settings. The development and outcomes of the project will provide possible future strategies to Drake Music Scotland which may be used to reduce auditory processing challenges for neurodivergent musicians and audiences within their project practice and delivery.
Research Interests
Neurodivergence; Accessibility; Inclusion; Sensory; Community; Inclusive Methodology; Auditory Discomfort; Psychoacoustics; Policy; Participatory Research;
Publications
Peer-Reviewed Conference Presentations:
Chapman, A., Sparkes, P., Ginsborg, J., & Heaton, P. (2026). “I get sucked into the atmosphere”: Exploring neurodivergent audiences’ auditory processing experiences in live music settings [Paper Presentation]. 19th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology, Durham UK.
Chapman, A., Sparkes, P., Ginsborg, J., & Heaton, P. (2026). “I’m hyperfocused on the music and almost live in it”: A qualitative analysis of neurodivergent musicians’ auditory processing experiences in everyday life and live music settings [Poster Presentation]. Neurodevelopment and Neurodiversity Annual Conference 2026, Durham UK.
Chapman, A., Sparkes, P., Ginsborg, J., & Heaton, P. (2026). Towards increased accessibility in survey research for neurodivergent populations: A methodological approach through a pilot study with musicians and audiences. North West Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership Annual Conference 2026, Manchester UK.
Chapman, A. (2024). How do you hear music?: A qualitative enquiry into auditory experiences of autistic individuals [Paper Presentation]. The 12th Triennial Conference of the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music, York UK.
Written Dissemination
Détári, A., Dawson, G., Ballam, L., Chapman, A., Redelinghuys, J., Baines, E., Furniss, P., Hugill, A., & Heaton, P. (2026). The neurodivergent musician: Report from a thinktank project. Neurodiversity, 4.
Public Dissemination:
Chapman, A. (2025). “How do you experience sensory stimuli?”: Navigation of sensory processing through Audial Variations [Workshop]. Sound Festival Scotland 2025, Aberdeen UK.
Brodzinski, E. (2025, February 03). Navigating reasonable adjustments as a neurodivergent scholar with Alex Chapman [Audio Podcast Episode]. In The PhD Life Raft Podcast.
Chapman, A. & Phillips, M. (2023). Sennheiser MobileConnect: Experimentation with Auditory Accessible Technologies for the Aid of RNCM Venues [Presentation]. RNCM Underrepresented Launch 2023, Manchester UK.