About Dr Anita Collins
Dr Anita Collins is an award-winning educator, researcher and writer in the field of brain development and music learning.
Anita is internationally recognized for her unique work in translating the scientific research of neuroscientists and psychologists to the everyday parent, teacher and student.
Since 2016, Anita has travelled around the world to interview over 100 neuroscientists and psychologists about music learning and brain development, known as neuromusical research. Anita now uses the research to present, consult and advocate for an updated understanding of how music learning can benefit every child’s development.
Anita’s work first came to prominence when she wrote the script for the highly successful TEDEd video, How playing an instrument benefits your brain, followed by her TEDx Talk, What if every child had music education from birth? Anita is best known to Australian’s for her role as on-screen expert and campaign lead for the Don’t Stop the Music documentary that aired on the ABC in late 2018.
Anita was awarded the Barbara Matthews Churchill fellowship in 2016 which allowed her to travel to the US and Canada to learn from researcher leaders, such as Professor Isabelle Peretz from the BRAMS Lab in Montreal and Professor Nina Kraus from the Brainvolts lab in Chicago. In 2017, Anita was awarded a sabbatical to continue her studies, again in the US, Canada and Germany with leaders such as Professors Glenn Schellenberg and Sandra Trehub at the University of Toronto Mississauga and Dr Assal Habibi and Dr Mathew Sachs at the Brain and Creativity Institute in LA. In recognition of her work, Anita was awarded the inaugural Australian Women in Music award for Music Education in 2019.
Anita’s Work
Anita’s work is centred around her unique ability to translate the neuromusical research into educational contexts for a variety of audiences across the education sector. Anita’s ability to communicate the complex findings of the research provides a platform to upskill and update the understanding of education leaders, teachers, students and parents on the place and purpose of music learning in every child’s education.
Present
Anita is an experienced, agile and sought after presenter for education, policy, philanthropic, parent and creative audiences. No single presentation is the same as she believes in responsive delivery and finding the teachable moments.
Online Q&A Presentations
Keynotes
Focused Meeting
Workshops
Ongoing Engagement
Consult
Anita is an experienced, agile and sought-after presenter for education, policy, philanthropic, parent and creative audiences. No single presentation is the same as she believes in responsive delivery and finding the teachable moments.
Evaluation & Advice
Research
Implementation
Coaching
Advocate
Anita takes a unique approach to advocacy for music education. She believes that powerful change creating advocacy occurs through approachable, informed and timely education. When we educate our communities, we create advocacy through deeper understanding.
Educate to Advocate
This is Anita’s motto for music education advocacy. Too often, she has seen the traditional forms of music education advocacy fall on deaf ears and provoke blank faces. But this is the kind of reaction that Anita is excited by. She wants to find ways to help her audiences open their ears again and engage their interest in the place and purpose of music education for every child. Anita believes that if teachers can change and mould the minds of children through education, then they can use the same superpower with adults. Through Bigger Better Brains, Anita is developing this new approach to advocacy with resources and training.
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