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Press

Publications

  • Nurse, L. and Robertson, C. (2022) Hearing and Feeling the Music in Every Step: Musical Walks and Biographical Experience of Lockdown. Irish Journal of Sociology. https://doi.org/10.1177/07916035221136818

  • The Art of Communication in the Socially Distanced Environment, an essay by Dr Lyudmila Nurse & Dr Chika Robertson, pp 137-141. Click here to download the TAD’ Liber Memorialis ebook, Liber Memorialis: Reimagining the Tower of Babel, TransAtlantic Dialogue Conference, University of Luxembourg 2021.

  • Dr Lyudmila Nurse, PhD, Research Fellow at the Department of Education, University of Oxford, is a member of the MMST Cultural, Scientific and Medical Advisory Board. Dr Chika Robertson is co-founder and CEO of the Music Mind Spirit Trust.

Interviews / Podcasts

  • Dr Chika Robertson was interviewed for The Study Society, Colet House, London by Margaret O’Keefe. Advaita Interviews - The Study Society

  • Dr Chika Robertson made a special appearance on singer-songwriter Calista Kazuko’s podcast. They were also joined by Dr Angela Kennedy for this special episode of The Empress Diaries entitled: ‘Dear Self… musical memories & medicine’ 🎵

International Meaning Conference

Dr Chika Robertson was the guest of honour at her daughter musician Calista Kazuko’s session at the International Meaning Conference which took place digitally this year. Below is a recording of this lovely discussion between mother and daughter talking music, meaning and more.

 
 

Recovery College Online

The SongTrees Young Artist Musical Ambassadors (YAMA) are honoured to have been involved with the launch of the exciting website RecoveryCollegeOnline.co.uk to promote Music for Wellbeing, thanks to the innovative work of Prof Nigel Osborne, X-System, the Tees, Esk & Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust and Northumbria University.

TO ENJOY X-SYSTEM’S RELAXING AND ENLIVENING MUSIC PLAYLISTS, click on the following link:

recoverycollegeonline.co.uk/music-for-wellbeing/music-for-care-homes-playlists/

The Care Home Playlists represent the musical interests of residents at partner care homes Cedar Court Care Home, Cranleigh and Stonehill House, Haddenham. Favourite songs and stories have been collected during informal interviews and concerts at these wonderful care homes by Young Artist Musical Ambassadors (YAMA) of the Music Mind Spirit Trust since 2018.

TO ENJOY THE WEEKLY ‘WELLBEING LIVE’ CONCERTS, see  http://www.paraswellbeing.co.uk/wellbeinglive .

You will also be able to access Prof Nigel Osborne’s and X-System’s innovative ‘Breathing to Music’ videos (‘Baroque’example below ) and via the following link: www.recoverycollegeonline.co.uk/recovery-wellbeing/music/breathing/

 
 

Performances

UPCOMING LIVE EVENTS INCLUDE:

  • 18 January 2026, British Opera Academy with internationally acclaimed tenor Allan Glassman (Metropolitan Opera, Paris Opera, Frankfurt Opera) and renowned soprano Elizabeth Byrne (Metropolitan Opera, English National Opera, Glyndebourne Opera).

  • Sun 19 April 2026 ‘SongTrees’ intergenerational partnership events with our TransAtlantic partners, the Spokane Symphony Orchestra (James Lowe, Music Director) and Spokane Public Libraries, featuring schools and families from the Pacific Northwest.

LIVE EVENTS’ ARCHIVE INCLUDES:

  • Sat 6 December, Music & Movement/Creative Songwriting at Colet House with Mark Ross Clark & Calista Georget at Colet House, 151 Talgarth Road, London W14 from 11 am and 12 noon.

  • 30th October, ‘Welcome In, Kentish Town’, Civic Action Lab, 2 Prince of Wales NW5 3LZ, ‘Music Moves!’ with Mark, Calista & Chika — a free new community event open to all with music, movement, food, drink…and more!

  • Autumn sessions from Wed 15th October, ‘Music Moves!’ interactive and engaging community music-making with Prof Mark Ross Clark, inspired by MMST Trustee Larry Westland CBE.

  • Sat 11 October, ‘Singing, Movement & Voice’ & Songwriting at Colet House with Mark Ross Clark & Calista Georget.

  • Sat 14 June, Back by popular request, British Opera Academy singers Sofia Bagulho, Eve Pearson Maxwell, Thomas Lidgley and BOA faculty member, baritone Ron Ulen, at the Conservatoire Concert Series in Godalming, Surrey with pianist Roelof Temmingh.

  • 14-28 May, Intergenerational sessions in London and Surrey/Sussex to celebrate UK’s Creativity and Wellbeing Week with London Arts and Health & partners Arts Council England, Culture Health & Wellbeing Alliance and City Bridge Foundation.

  • ‘Musical Theatre!’ - an illustrated talk by international stage director Prof Mark Ross Clark in West Sussex on Tues 20 May.

  • Sun 18 May, Intergenerational ‘Music Moves!’: Music, Movement & Mindfulness for all ages, from 0+ upwards including seniors, at Castlehaven Community Centre, Camden, London from 10.30-12 noon with Boho Bambino (Calista Georget), Music Moves (Mark Ross Clark) and SongTrees (Chika Robertson).

  • Mon 5th May, ‘A Celebration of Spring and the Life of Peter Fenwick’ at Colet House, London with MMST’s British Opera Academy (soloists Anastasia Koorn, Eve Maxwell, Justin Soriano & Alistair Sutherland) and 12 Young Artist Musical Ambassadors (YAMA), with soloists Sapphie Johnson, Alicia Li-Yan-Hui, Joe Netley, Mayuchi Ono & Emma Wang from the Royal Academy of Music, JA & PA, and pianist Tadashi Imai.

  • Feb & March, ‘Syngergetics’ Music & Movement Experience with Prof Mark Ross Clark at Colet House, London.

  • Weds in March, ‘Music Moves!’ interactive and engaging community music sessions with Prof Mark Ross Clark at Rudgwick Memorial Hall in West Sussex.

  • Tues 18 & Thurs 20 Feb, ‘Music Moves!’ sessions at The Milk Churn in West Sussex at 9 am.

  • ‘Soundscapes’ with Prof Anthony Pinching (narrator), Viv MacLean (piano) and Fenella Humphreys (violin), 26 January at 3 pm: Following the success of the Music in Pinner Series concert (see below), MMST was thrilled that there was another opportunity to hear these 3 extraordinary performers at Dr Hugh Mather’s wonderful concert series at St Mary’s, Perivale. This exquisite programme, conceived by Tony Pinching and Viv MacLean as a tribute to Prof Paul Robertson, can be viewed on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfHCJ383CN0

  • ‘The Faces of Passion’ - British Opera Academy, SUNDAY 1 December at Colet House, London: Hosted by Mark Ross Clark and special guest-International Opera Star Allan Glassman, this concert featured talented international singers from top conservatories in the UK, including The Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the Royal Academy of Music, the Royal College of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music, with Craig J White on piano.

  • Music in Pinner Series, Sept 2024, ‘Soundscapes’: MMST would like to thank Prof Anthony Pinching (narrator), Viv MacLean (piano), Fenella Humphreys (violin) for their generosity in presenting this remarkable evening of beautiful music and sensitively interwoven words, which raised vital funds for MMST to launch our 20th Anniversary Year. musicinpinner.org.uk

  • Spokane Symphony, Sept & May 2024: Furthering MMST’s TransAtlantic Dialogue work with Music Director James Lowe and his excellent orchestra, Dr Chika Robertson and Prof Mark Ross Clark (with MMST Trustee Prof Nigel Osborne) continue to develop this special partnership for the Spokane CONNECT Dementia Programme.

  • British Opera Academy UK, June 2024: This immersive 2-week musical experience provided advanced singers from across the world with a personalised programme of masterclasses (including Jennifer France), workshops and concerts in London and Surrey.

  • TransAtlantic Dialogue Conference, European Cultural Parliament (directed by MMST Trustee Ambassador Karl-Erik Norrman) in Luxembourg, May 2024: Dr Lyudmila Nurse, Dr Chika Robertson and MMST YAMA’s Creative Leader Elizabeth Nurse addressed how Soft Power can be utilised creatively in their ‘Musical Steps’ Workshop. Also presenting at the Conference was Prof Mark Ross Clark, Artistic Director of MMST’s British Opera Academy.

  • Royal Academy of Music Presentation: Dr Chika Robertson and Dr Lyudmila Nurse – ‘Musical Steps: Reinvigorating Latent Musicianship Across the Generations’ (29 Sept 2023): This live and virtual event in RAM’s beautiful Angela Burgess Recital Hall featured MMST’s talented Young Artist Musical Ambassadors from the Primary Academy, Junior Academy and Royal Academy of Music.

  • The Scientific and Medical Network’s Golden Jubilee Day 2023: MMST’s Young Artist Musical Ambassadors Sapphie Johnson, Elizabeth Kirov and Joe Steele performed violin solos at the SMN’s glorious 50th Anniversary celebration in London.

  • The successful launch of the British Opera* Academy (BOA) — Music Mind Spirit Trust included memorable concerts in London and Surrey by talented singers from across the world in June 2023, as well as superbly presented Masterclasses by Jamie Barton, Jennifer France, Duncan Rock, Allan Glassman, Mark Ross Clark, Dominic Alldis and Caroline Dowdle. BOA serves as the professional vocal training and performance arm for MMST’s Young Artist Musical Ambassadors (YAMA) Programme to bring high-quality, accessible performances to diverse communities.

  • Music and Medicine: current practice, future possibilities: UCL embodied psychotherapies series at Queen Square, Institute of Neurology. On 10 March, Calista Kazuko Georget, Dr Chika Robertson and Prof Nigel Osborne presented an interactive creative workshop, “Reinvigorating Musical Memories through Sustainable Eco-MAPs (Musically Attuned Performances)” at this fascinating international conference, brilliantly organised by Dr Christos Sideros of UCL and the RSM.

  • Invited back following their popular debut in May, MMST Young Artist Musical Ambassadors Tilly Goodwin, Alistair Sutherland, James Schouten and Elizabeth Hayley brought the new year in with style (and a standing ovation!) at their ‘BEST OF BROADWAY: HOLIDAY SPECIAL’ show in Surrey.*

  • The very exciting music and ecology production of GREEN MAN HO! was successfully launched at London’s historic Colet House in June. In partnership with the award-winning composer Paul Pritchard, director Mark Ross Clark and Chika Robertson, this multi-media performance featured musicians from the Royal Academy of Music, Junior Academy, Primary Academy and the Blaze Ensemble.

  • Inspired by ‘Green Man Ho!’, THE GREEN MAN INITIATIVE will raise ecological awareness through this important new educational music project, which will be led by MMST’s Young Artist Musical Ambassadors in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Music and Study Society, Colet House in London.

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