Ongoing research focuses on issues relating to improvisation, composition, psychology of music, music health and wellbeing, musical identities and music education. My research includes studying the processes and outcomes of music participation and music listening.
MacDonald R.A.R, Miell D & Hargreaves D.J. EDS (2017). The Oxford Handbook of Musical Identities Oxford: Oxford University Press
Wilson, G. & MacDonald, R. (2017) The construction of meaning within free improvising groups: a qualitative psychological investigation Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity & The Arts http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/aca0000075
MacDonald R.A.R &. Wilson, G.B. (2016). Billy Connolly, Daniel Barenboim, Willie Wonka, Jazz Bastards and the universality of improvisation In G. Lewis & Ben Piekut (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Critical Improvisation Studies. New York: Oxford University Press
Mitchell, H. F. & MacDonald, R. A. R. (2016). What you see is what you hear: The importance of visual priming in music performer identification Psychology of Music 44(6) 1361-1371, doi: 10.1177/0305735616628658
Tamplin, J. & Baker, F.A., Rickard, N., Roddy, C, & MacDonald, R. (2015). A theoretical framework and therapeutic songwriting protocol to promote integration of self-concept in people with acquired neurological injuries. Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, pp. 1-23. Doi.10.1080/08098131.2015.1011208. published on line 13/3/2015.
Wilson, G. B., & MacDonald, R. A. R. (2015). Musical choices during group free improvisation: A qualitative psychological investigation. Psychology of Music. doi: 10.1177/0305735615606527
MacDonald, R and Wilson, G. (2014) Improvisation, health and welling: A review Psychology of Well-Being Psychology of Well-Being 4(20) doi:10.1186/s13612-014-0020-9 http://www.psywb.com/content/4/1/20
CDs
Morphometry Lol Coxhill & Raymond MacDonald Glospot records (2017)
Cast of Thousands (2016) Creative Sources (2016)
Travelog Sensaround HelloSquare records (2016)
Exhibition and public workshops
Ganter, J., MacDonald, R. and Crispell, M. (2017) Drawing Sound installation of graphic scores at The Kleinert James Center for the Arts (Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild), USA. August 25 – October 8, 2017
Concurrent #3 – Exchanges Through Improvisation 19th February - 25th February 2017 Tate Liverpool
Grant funding
MacDonald, R.A.R and Wilson G (2017-2018) Scottish Government, Social Innovation Fund, Community Music Workshops for Social Integration among Individuals with Impairments £41,993
Wilson, G. & MacDonald, R. (2015-2017) Concurrent: exploring improvisation between performing arts practitioners £19,984 Royal Society of Edinburgh