Ryan Humphrey

Ryan Humphrey is a Visiting Lecturer and PhD researcher at York St John University's School of the Arts, specializing in community music and cultural policy. His research examines the interplay between community music discourse and cultural policy, employing mixed methodologies including historiography and ethnographic case studies. He holds a master's by research exploring music's impact on care-experienced youth. As a community musician, Humphrey leads projects across the North East of England, focusing on care-experienced young people through initiatives like Sage Gateshead's Loud and Clear program and the Foster Family music-making project at ARC Stockton. He also serves as a Trustee for Blue Cabin, supporting relationships between care-experienced youth and their adult caregivers through creative activities.

Teaching responsibilities include delivering seminars on inclusive music practices for the BA (Hons) Community Music program, addressing care-experienced youth and early years music projects. His research interests span community music practices, cultural policy analysis, and music education frameworks. Key projects include digital music-making interventions with care-experienced children and collaborative music programs enhancing caregiver-child relationships.

Publications focus on topics like ownership in music projects, digital music education, and music's role in social pedagogy. He frequently presents at conferences (e.g., ISSME, RIME) and delivers invited lectures on early years music, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue between academia and community music practice.