Joshua Silberstein-Bamford

Joshua Silberstein-Bamford

Senior Lecturer
Unit
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Department / Division
Department of Music, Art and Culture Studies
Room number
M 305
Email
joshua.s.bamford@jyu.fi
Mobile
+358503261191
Postal address
Seminaarinkatu 15
Fields of science
515 Psychology
1181 Ecology, evolutionary biology
6131 Theatre, dance, music, other performing arts
3112 Neurosciences

Biography

Senior Lecturer in Music Education, and researcher at the Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain. I previously completed my Doctorate in Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology at the University of Oxford, where I maintain an affiliation with the Centre for the Study of Social Cohesion.

Research interests

My research focuses on the biology of musicality, attempting to answer big questions about why humans make music. I'm interested in why people throughout history and across all cultures will gather to sing and dance together. To study this, I use motion capture and eye-tracking technology to record behaviour and attention during synchronised action.

Attachments

CV

Publications

Publication
2026

Arts, cultural engagement and health inequalities: critical reflections on the UK Creative Health Review (2023)

Cultural Trends.
Clift, Stephen
McCrary, Matt
Kaasgaard, Mette
Kreutz, Gunter
Musgrave, George
Danso, Andrew
Silverstein-Bamford, Joshua
Pelowski, Matthew
Davies, Christina
Schurig, Eva
Köehler, Friederike
Bungay, Hilary
Holt, Nicola
Jensen, Anita
Kahlil, Radwa
Phillips, Kate
Pickard, Angela
Thun-Hohenstein, Leonhard
Comeau, Gilles
Martin, Tenley
Grebosz-Haring, Katarzyna
More publications from this author

Research groups

Research group

BAM Lab

The Biological Anthropology of Music (BAM) Lab studies the bio-cultural evolution of music and musicality through cross-cultural and cross-species perspectives.
Sound Science Lab logo blue white 1920x1080
Research group

Sound Science Lab

The Sound Science Lab advances research at the intersection of the creative and brain sciences to elucidate how we perceive, understand, and experience music in daily life and applied contexts.
Research group

Musiconnect

Music as youth empowerment: creating connection to self and others

Projects

DJ in the metaverse
Project

Virtual Entertainers: An Emerging Dimension of the Music Industry

Providing a comprehensive overview of virtual entertainers and examines audience discourses surrounding them.
MUSICOTAS Consortium Logo with logos from JYU and VTT.
Project

MUSICOTAS 2025-2029

Musical Sharing In Copresent Time And Space
Woman running on a footpath.
Project

Music, Sports Performance and Physical Activity (MPACT)

This project aims to explore the use of music during sports performance and physical activity.
Project

Music and Romantic Relationships

An investigation into the use of music in romantic relationships in contemporary society, and in our evolutionary history.
Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain (MMBB) team gathering in June 2022
Project

Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain 2022-2029

The Center of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body, and Brain investigates music as a multimodal experience and a versatile force for change throughout the lifespan.
Project

Musiconnect 2022-2027

Music as youth empowerment: creating connection to self and others
Music and Movement study
Project

Music and Dance

Studying how young people use music and dance to socialise.
Project

MUSPRO – music and sports

This project explores the potential benefits from music and physical education in children’s development of social and emotional skills.