RESEARCH & PRACTICE
Scholarship, performance, and academic activity

My research focuses on how ensemble musicianship and aural skills are taught and assessed in higher music education, with particular attention to practice-led research, evaluative judgement, and genre-inclusive curricula. Across peer-reviewed publications and applied frameworks, this work examines how musical understanding is enacted, evidenced, and evaluated in contemporary tertiary programmes.

Selected Research and Assessment-Focused Work

Decolonising the Rhythm Curriculum — Music Education Research
Creative Health Through Music Pedagogy — International Journal of Arts Education
More Than Just Piano — College Music Symposium
The Intentional Pocket Project — Jazz Education in Research and Practice
White Paper WP-01 — Aural Fluency Assessment
White Paper WP-02 — Practice-Led Research Supervision & Assessment

PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

Journal Articles

More Than Just Piano: Patch Literacy as a Core Competency in Contemporary Ensemble Practice
(Forthcoming 2026) · College Music Symposium (College Music Society, USA)
Defines patch literacy—the ability to select, program, and perform with context-appropriate keyboard timbres—as a core ensemble competency bridging technology and musicianship. Drawing on reflective-practitioner inquiry, the article presents a role-based framework (Pad, Lead, Pianistic) that integrates sound design, ensemble fluency, and curricular application in higher music contexts.

The Intentional Pocket Project: A Jazz-Informed Workshop Series for Emerging Ensemble Musicians
January 2026 · Jazz Education in Research and Practice, 7(1), 98–119 (Indiana University Press / Project MUSE) · DOI 10.2979/jerp.00017
Articulates a structured, rhythm-section–led workshop model designed to cultivate groove cohesion, role clarity, and ensemble fluency among technically proficient but ensemble-inexperienced musicians. Grounded in practice-based inquiry, the article introduces a three-pillar pedagogical framework — Specific Listening, Technical Awareness, and Macro-Sight — positioning “the pocket” as an intentionally teachable, transferable design pattern for small-ensemble contexts in higher music education.

Creative Health Through Music Pedagogy: Case Studies in Identity, Listening, and Cultural Belonging in Higher Education
December 2025 · International Journal of Arts Education, 23(2), 95–112 (National Taiwan Arts Education Center, Ministry of Education, Taiwan) · ISSN 1728-175X · Author-accepted manuscript · DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18243857
Examines how ensemble-focused pedagogy can foster wellbeing, inclusion, and identity formation in higher education contexts, advancing a practice-led account of creative health through listening, collaborative musicianship, and culturally responsive design.

Decolonising the Rhythm Curriculum: Integrating Global Groove Practices in Undergraduate Aural Skills
September 2025 · Music Education Research, 27(5), 593 –603 (Taylor & Francis) · DOI 10.1080/14613808.2025.2565148
Develops a decolonising model for rhythm pedagogy that integrates African, Indian, and global groove practices into undergraduate aural skills curricula, reframing rhythmic literacy as plural, embodied, and culturally situated.

Book Chapters

Ensemble Rhythm as Didactic Space: A Bildung-Oriented, Cross-Curricular Design
(Forthcoming 2027) · in Cultivating Didactic Spaces with Bildung Theories and Cross-Curricular Approaches in Educational Practice (Vernon Press, Wilmington, DE)
Develops rhythm-based ensemble pedagogy as a Bildung-oriented model for cross-curricular teaching, integrating global groove frameworks and classroom tasks that link music, mathematics, language, civics, and physical education.

Rhythm, Flow, and Belonging: Ensemble Pedagogy as Creative Health
(Invited chapter, under review) · in Music & Mind (Vernon Press, Wilmington, DE)
Develops rhythm-centred ensemble pedagogy as a practice-informed creative health model, linking entrainment, groove, flow, and synchrony to attention regulation, resilience, and belonging across K–12, higher education, and community music contexts.

Rhythm as Decolonial Pedagogy: Ensemble Practice for South African Creative Arts Education
(Forthcoming 2026) · in Voices of Creative Education: Navigating Challenges and Opportunities in South African Arts Education (University of South Africa Press — UNISA)
Proposes rhythm-centred ensemble pedagogy as a pragmatic route for decolonial Creative Arts education in South Africa, drawing on cyclic, participatory groove practices to enhance collaboration, belonging, and culturally sustaining teaching.

The Intentional Pocket Project: Ensemble Groove Labs as Project-Based Learning in Higher Music Education
(Forthcoming 2026) · in Cases on Project-Based Learning in Music Education (IGI Global, Hershey, Pennsylvania)
Presents rhythm-based ensemble pedagogy as project-based learning, drawing from applied teaching cases where students co-design ensemble artefacts, develop groove fluency, and reflect on collaborative musicianship.

Music on Screen – Reflections on Livestreamed Concerts
March 2022 · in Things Will Never Be the Same – Or Will They? (UBSS CSR Learning Futures Vol. 2, Smart Questions) · ISBN 978-1-907453-34-2
Reflects on artistic adaptation during the COVID-19 period, focusing on livestreamed performance formats and the evolution of audience engagement. Access publication

WORKING PAPERS & WHITE PAPERS

Working Papers

Assessing Aural Fluency in Contemporary Music Education
Proposes a genre-inclusive assessment framework for aural skills, articulating criteria, descriptors, and benchmarking strategies that align listening, musicianship, and contemporary ensemble practice.

Aural Fluency Across Systems: Cyclic Time, Modal Colour, and Micro-Intonation
Proposes a plural-modal aural curriculum linking entrainment, modal pathways, and differentiated intonation to contemporary ensemble needs.

Brush Technique as Cross-Genre Pedagogy for Contemporary Drum Set
Develops a global, groove-centred brush framework integrating jazz lineage with hybrid and popular-music applications.

Harmonic Flow as Directional Expectancy: Teaching Harmonic Motion in Contemporary Music
Reframes harmony as perceptual motion, introducing harmonic topologies and momentum states to support creative, genre-inclusive theory learning.

Reflective Practitioner Framework for Contemporary Music Pedagogy
Articulates a multi-instrumental teaching framework connecting ensemble identity, improvisational decision-making, and cross-cultural hearing.

Re-centring the Decolonising Ear
Develops civic-oriented listening pedagogy across global tuning and timing systems, positioning aural skills as infrastructure for cultural belonging.

White Papers

Aural Fluency Assessment in Contemporary Music Education: A practice-led framework for plural-modal, genre-inclusive assessment
2026 · White Paper (WP-01) · Zenodo · DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18115790

Proposes a standards-oriented framework for assessing aural fluency in contemporary music higher education, with guidance on evidentiary modes, benchmarking, and examiner calibration across diverse musical systems.

A Practice-Led Research Methodology for Contemporary Music Higher Education: A standards-oriented framework for supervising and assessing undergraduate practice-led research
2026 · White Paper (WP-02) · Zenodo · DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18123220

Proposes a standards-oriented methodological framework for supervising and assessing undergraduate practice-led research in contemporary music higher education, clarifying the role of practice as inquiry, evidentiary principles, and assessment alignment within Singapore-based quality assurance contexts.

CONFERENCES & INVITED RESEARCH

Proceedings Papers

Talks/Webinars/Keynotes

Re-centering the Decolonising Ear: Aural Fluency and Plural-Modal Listening in East-Asian-Adjacent Pedagogy
July 2026 · 9th Symposium of the ICTMD Study Group on Musics of East Asia · Hosted by National Taiwan Normal University · Taipei, Taiwan
Peer-reviewed conference paper examining aural fluency and plural-modal listening in higher music education. The paper reframes listening beyond single tonal–metric norms through intercultural approaches to rhythm, tuning, and ensemble texture.

Identity-Aligned Repertoire Mapping for Engagement and Participation in Higher Music Education
June 2026 · Redesigning Pedagogy International Conference (RPIC) 2026 · National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University · Singapore

Peer-reviewed conference paper examining how identity-aligned repertoire selection can function as a pedagogical lever for engagement and participation in higher music education. Drawing on design-based inquiry, the paper proposes a transferable framework that maps culturally legible repertoire to disciplinary concepts while maintaining academic rigour.

The Intentional Pocket Project: A Jazz-Informed Workshop Series for Emerging Ensemble Musicians
2026 · Jazz Education Network (JEN) Invited Research Webinar · Online

Invited research webinar based on the peer-reviewed article published in Jazz Education in Research and Practice (Indiana University Press). The presentation outlines a practice-based framework for rhythm-section pedagogy, groove fluency, and ensemble-directed listening in higher music education.

Pocket as Embodied Space: Reflections from the Bandstand
February 2026 · 5th International Network for Artistic Jazz Research (INARJ) Conference · JAM MUSIC LAB Private University (Vienna), hosted by Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel & Erasmushogeschool Brussel · Brussels, Belgium

Peer-reviewed conference paper examining groove and ensemble interaction through embodied, practice-led inquiry. The paper situates “pocket” as an emergent, relational phenomenon shaped by microtiming, gesture, and collective listening within small-group performance contexts.

PRACTICE & PROFESSIONAL WORK
Performance, Examining, Practitioner Research Contexts

Selected Performances

A Night of Jazz with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO)

October 2025 · Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra × Julian Chan Jazz Orchestra (Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS, Kuala Lumpur)

Performed drum set as part of a large jazz ensemble collaboration with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra at Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS. The programme featured big band and symphonic jazz repertoire, situating jazz rhythm-section practice within a national-orchestra performance context.

Assessed Fellowship Portfolios

Selected externally examined fellowship submissions in percussion, electric bass, composition, contemporary piano accompaniment, and others assessed by UK- and Australia-based awarding bodies. Supporting materials are archived on Zenodo. View here

Industry Engagements

The TENG Company
2018–present · Arranger, Percussionist, Bassist

Ongoing practitioner engagement with a leading intercultural ensemble specialising in Chinese percussion and contemporary hybrid performance. Activities include performance, arrangement, and collaborative rehearsal processes informing research into ensemble cognition, rhythmic organisation, and intercultural listening.

Singapore Armed Forces Band
2009–2013 · Principal Drummer, Percussionist, Pianist, Bassist; Combo Band 2IC

Served as a principal rhythm-section musician within a national ceremonial and concert band, performing across orchestral, jazz, popular, and ceremonial repertoires. Responsibilities included ensemble leadership, multi-instrumental performance, and rehearsal coordination across both large and small ensembles.

Selected Performances at Major Arts Venues (Singapore & International)
Esplanade – Concert Hall & Outdoor Theatre; Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music; Singapore Conference Hall; Berklee Performance Center (Boston); Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center (New York)

Performed as drummer, percussionist, and bassist in major concert venues across Singapore and internationally, contributing to large-ensemble and rhythm-section performance practice.

ARCHIVED ACADEMIC & PRACTICE-LED WORK

Integrating World Percussion into Graduate Jazz Training: A Practitioner Reflection
August 2025 · CUNY Academic Works (Queens College, City University of New York)
Reflects on the pedagogical and artistic outcomes of substituting jazz drum-set lessons with a semester of world percussion study at Queens College. Access publication

Doctor of Music in Contemporary Performance: Portfolio Submission
July 2025 · Zenodo (European-American University) · https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15833940
Conferred via Validation of Experiential Learning (VAE); includes selected recordings, creative projects, pedagogical frameworks, and reflective commentary on rhythm-section fluency, cross-genre performance, and curriculum innovation. View portfolio

Teaching Aural Skills in Undergraduate Music Using World Music Concepts: A Narrative Inquiry

August 2024 · Doctoral Thesis, Liberty University School of Music · DME

Explores rhythmic and modal concepts from African, Indian, Arabic, and Japanese traditions, applies them to Western aural skills pedagogy, and proposes integrative frameworks for cross-cultural musicianship. Download thesis

PROFESSIONAL ACADEMIC SERVICE & EXAMINING

LCME Examiner Seminar (Examiner Training)
February 2026 · London College of Music Examinations (University of West London), UK
Professional examiner training and calibration seminar undertaken as part of ongoing accreditation and examining duties with the London College of Music Examinations.

SCSM Music Examiner Training
July 2025 · St Cecilia School of Music (SCSM), Singapore
Examiner training and assessment practice supporting graded and diploma-level contemporary music examinations.

ESSAYS & PUBLIC COMMENTARY

Diplomas: pros and cons
November 2025 · Music Teacher (Mark Allen Group, UK)
Reflects on the role of performance diplomas in a musician’s professional journey, questioning how qualifications intersect with lived experience and artistic growth. Draws on Seow’s multi-instrumental background to highlight that while formal recognition builds discipline and confidence, it is sustained performance practice that shapes authentic musicianship. Read article

Feeling First: A Practitioner’s Reflection on Decolonising Music Pedagogy
September 2025 · JHPCU Blog (Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi Christian University)
Explores how embodied experience, ensemble fluency, and world-percussion practices can reframe music education beyond notation and codes. Positions “feeling first” as central to decolonising pedagogy, highlighting groove, reharmonisation, and student agency as catalysts for learning. Read article

From Berklee to Boutique: How I Built My Academic Pathway Through Performance, Professionalism, and Purpose
August 2025 · EAU News (European-American University)
Traces a multi-route academic and professional journey across conservatory and portfolio-based education, illustrating how practitioner-led higher learning can achieve academic credibility through rigour, service, and educational purpose. Read article

Decolonising Music Education Across Diverse Institutions
July 2025 · Music In Africa
Reflects on decolonising practices in schools, universities, and community spaces, examining how culturally responsive frameworks strengthen inclusivity and musical belonging. Read article

Arts Are Essential: Reframing Music Education as Infrastructure for Human Resilience
June 2025 · RSA Circle (Royal Society of Arts)
Argues for the arts as civic infrastructure, linking music education to wellbeing, resilience, and community renewal in post-crisis contexts. Read article

View all academic publications via ResearchGate, Google Scholar, ORCID, ResearcherID, Zenodo, Academia, and LinkedIn.

RESEARCH & PRACTICE Scholarship, performance, and academic activity