Menu Close

William James Baker

Senior Lecturer, School of Education, University of Tasmania

I am a Senior Lecturer in the School of Education at University of Tasmania, with over 30 years’ experience as a Music educator, and 25 years as an educational researcher. I grew up playing the cello and playing in youth orchestras at my school and in the community, these experiences were transformational for me. Now, in collaboration with our industry partners, the Tasmanian Youth Orchestras, and the Singapore National Youth Orchestra, I am leader of an externally funded multidisciplinary research team with colleagues from Education, Creative Arts and Media and Social Sciences. We are interested in learning about the ways in which Arts participation can influence social and emotional wellbeing and learning in young people, and most recently about resilience and youth orchestra participation through The Music and Resilience Project. The team are all driven by a desire to make a difference in the lives of young people through the development of teachable behaviours or dispositions such as teamwork, empathy, influence, focus, curiosity, and grit.

Experience

  • –present
    Senior Lecturer, University of Tasmania

Education

  • 2017 
    University of Tasmania, Graduate Certificate in Education (ULT)
  • 2014 
    Curtin University of Technology, Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art)
  • 2002 
    RMIT University, Doctor of Education
  • 1997 
    RMIT University, Master of Education
  • 1988 
    The University of Melbourne, Bachelor of Music Education

Grants and Contracts

  • 2019
    Developing resources to enable resilient young Tasmanians through Arts engagement
    Role:
    CI
    Funding Source:
    Tasmanian Community Fund

Professional Memberships

  • Australian Society for Music Education
  • Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia

Honours

Honourary Life Member of the Australian Society for Music Education, Senior Fellow Higher Education Academy.