George Waddell

Research Associate in Performance Science

George Waddell is a Research Associate in Performance Science at the Royal College of Music. He is also a Sessional Lecturer and honorary Research Associate at Imperial College London. His research focusses on the processes underpinning performance assessment, examining musical decision-making among judges and audiences and the development of evaluative skills.

George is currently working on the TELMI project, funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, which seeks to develop technologies that enhance instrumental music teaching. He is also a member of the first MedTech SuperConnector cohort, an accelerator for emerging medical technologies, where he is developing a new digital tool for teaching clinical communication skills. George lectures on experimental design, statistical analysis, and the psychology of music and performance.

George holds a PhD in Performance Science from the RCM. He completed his BMus and MMus in piano performance at Brandon University (Canada) while studying psychology. He was awarded the Brandon University Gold Medal for the Master of Music Degree, was a recipient of the Manitoba Graduate Scholarship, and holds an ARCT Diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.

Selected publications

Waddell G, Perkins R, & Williamon A (forthcoming), Making an impression: error location and repertoire features affect performance quality rating processes, Music Perception.

Waddell G & Williamon A (2017), Eye of the beholder: stage entrance behavior and facial expression affect continuous quality ratings in music performance, Frontiers in Psychology, 8 (513), 1-14 [DOI] [VIDEO].

Waddell G & Williamon A (2017), Measuring the audience, in S Lee (ed.), Scholarly Research for Musicians (pp. 148-155), Routledge.

Waddell G (2015), Review of Expressiveness in Music Performance: Empirical Approaches Across Styles and Cultures (OUP, 2014), Psychology of Music, 43, 909-912 [DOI].

Find out more about George and the Centre of Performance Science. Visit website

Find out about the TELMI project. Visit website

Faculties / departments: Research