Dana Swarbrick

Guest researcher

Biography

Dana's research has occurred at the intersection of music, embodied cognition, and technology. Her PhD focused on how audience experiences at concerts are affected by technological mediation. During the coronavirus crisis, Dana's research focus shifted to the burgeoning field of "pandemusicology", examining the social and emotional effects of virtual concerts and other "coronamusicking". As the pandemic subsided, she was able to examine the entrainment and pleasure resulting from live concert experiences and contrast them with livestreamed concerts. Specifically, she was instrumental in examining the audience experience at the MusicLab Copenhagen: Danish String Quartet Concert where the research focus was on musical absorption, social connectedness, and kama muta (i.e. feeling moved or touched). Dana also led a concert experiment at the LIVELab (McMaster University) where she examined the effects of participation and liveness on motion, emotion, and social bonding, and contrasted the experiences of the live and livestreaming audiences. Specifically, the performer encouraged the audience to clap and sing along during two songs at the concert which promoted audience connectedness.

In her spare time, Dana is a passionate singer-songwriter-scientist having performed her original music with her band Dana & The Monsters since 2015 and her second EP is scheduled for release in autumn 2024. She also applies her nerdiness in her athletic endeavors as a climber. 

Academic interests

  • Music cognition, neuroscience, and psychology
  • Entrainment, pleasure, and social bonding 
  • Emotions (e.g., kama muta/feeling moved/touched, awe, connectedness)
  • Music and movement (motion capture and groove)
  • Music technology (technological mediation and music production)
  • Concert experiences (audience, performers, and fanship)
  • Performance science and creativity (in both music and sport)
  • Motor learning, exercise, and rehabilitation sciences 

Background

Awards

Research 

  • Theme: Entrainment & Pleasure
Tags: music, cognition, neuroscience, psychology, movement, entrainment, synchrony, pleasure

Publications

  • Lartillot, Olivier; Swarbrick, Dana; Upham, Finn & Cancino-Chacón, Carlos Eduardo (2025). Video Visualization of a String Quartet Performance of a Bach Fugue: Design and Subjective Evaluation. Music & Science. 8. doi: 10.1177/20592043251352299. Full text in Research Archive
  • H?ffding, Simon; Bergstr?m, Rebecca Josefine Five; Bishop, Laura; Bravo, Pedro Pablo Lucas; Burnim, Kayla & Cancino-Chacón, Carlos Eduardo [Show all 28 contributors for this article] (2025). Introducing the MusicLab Copenhagen Dataset. Music & Science. doi: 10.1177/20592043241303288. Full text in Research Archive
  • Boeker, Matthias; Swarbrick, Dana; C?té-Allard, Ulysse; Riegler, Michael; Halvorsen, P?l & Hammer, Hugo Lewi (2024). Predictive Modelling of Muscle Fatigue in Climbing. In Lienhart, Rainer; Moeslund, Thomas B. & Saito, Hideo (Ed.), MMSports '24: Proceedings of the 7th ACM International Workshop on Multimedia Content Analysis in Sports. Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). ISSN 9798400711985. p. 7–15. doi: 10.1145/3689061.3689066. Full text in Research Archive
  • Swarbrick, Dana; Martin, Remy Richard; H?ffding, Simon; Nielsen, Nanette & Vuoskoski, Jonna Katariina (2024). Audience Musical Absorption: Exploring Attention and Affect in the Live Concert Setting. Music & Science. 7. doi: 10.1177/20592043241263461. Full text in Research Archive
  • Swarbrick, Dana & Vuoskoski, Jonna Katariina (2023). Collectively Classical: Connectedness, Awe, Feeling Moved, and Motion at a Live and Livestreamed Concert. Music & Science. 6. doi: 10.1177/20592043231207595. Full text in Research Archive
  • Swarbrick, Dana; Upham, Finn; Erdem, Cagri; Jensenius, Alexander Refsum & Vuoskoski, Jonna Katariina (2022). Measuring Virtual Audiences with The MusicLab App: Proof of Concept. In Michon, Romain; Pottier, Laurent & Orlarey, Yann (Ed.), Proceedings of the 19th Sound and Music Computing Conference. SMC Network. ISSN 9782958412609. p. 532–539. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.6798290. Full text in Research Archive
  • Onderdijk, Kelsey; Swarbrick, Dana; Kerrebroeck, Bavo Van; Mantei, Maximillian; Vuoskoski, Jonna Katariina & Maes, Pieter-Jan [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2021). Livestream Experiments: The Role of COVID-19, Agency, Presence, and Social Context in Facilitating Social Connectedness. Frontiers in Psychology. 12. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.647929. Full text in Research Archive
  • Swarbrick, Dana; Seibt, Christa Beate; Grinspun, Noemi & Vuoskoski, Jonna Katariina (2021). Corona Concerts: The Effect of Virtual Concert Characteristics on Social Connection and Kama Muta. Frontiers in Psychology. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.648448. Full text in Research Archive
  • Hansen, Niels Chr.; Treider, John Melvin Gudnyson; Swarbrick, Dana; Bamford, Joshua S.; Wilson, Johanna & Vuoskoski, Jonna Katariina (2021). A Crowd-Sourced Database of Coronamusic: Documenting Online Making and Sharing of Music During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Frontiers in Psychology. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.684083. Full text in Research Archive
  • Swarbrick, Dana; Kiss, Alex; Trehub, Sandra; Tremblay, Luc; Alter, David & Chen, Joyce (2020). HIIT the Road Jack: An Exploratory Study on the Effects of an Acute Bout of Cardiovascular High-Intensity Interval Training on Piano Learning. Frontiers in Psychology. 11(2154). doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02154. Full text in Research Archive

View all works in NVA

  • Swarbrick, Dana & Oddekalv, Kjell Andreas (2024). LAB.prat: RITMO x Popsenteret Live & Livestreamed Concert with Dana & The Monsters and Conversation with Dr. Dana Swarbrick.
  • Oddekalv, Kjell Andreas & Swarbrick, Dana (2024). LAB.prat #1: Dr. Dana Swarbrick || Dana & The Monsters.
  • Swarbrick, Dana (2023). Les Effets du Musique sur Grimper.
  • Swarbrick, Dana (2023). The Effects of Music on Climbing.
  • Swarbrick, Dana; Palmer, Caroline; Keller, Peter; Clayton, Martin; Henry, Molly & Toiviainen, Petri (2023). Entrainment Workshop Panel Discussion.
  • Swarbrick, Dana & Roach, Andrew (2023). What Are Concert Crowds Like? [Internet]. By the Barricade .
  • Swarbrick, Dana & Vuoskoski, Jonna Katariina (2023). Exploring the Relationship Between Experiences of Awe, Being Moved, and Social Connectedness in Concert Audiences.
  • Swarbrick, Dana; Danielsen, Anne; Jensenius, Alexander Refsum & Vuoskoski, Jonna Katariina (2023). The Effects of “Feeling Moved” and “Groove” On Standstill.
  • Vuoskoski, Jonna Katariina & Swarbrick, Dana (2023). Moving together: Exploring the relationship between emotions, connectedness, and motion in concert audiences.
  • Swarbrick, Dana; Bosnyak, Dan; Rollo, Susan Marsh; Fu, Nicole; Trainor, Laurel & Vuoskoski, Jonna Katariina (2023). Being in Concert: The Effects of Audience Participation on Motion, Emotion, and Connectedness.
  • Swarbrick, Dana (2023). Being in Concert: Fostering Togetherness in Audiences.
  • Swarbrick, Dana & Moesgaard, Anna (2023). Selv n?r koncerter opleves gennem en sk?rm, m?rker vi musikerne. [Journal]. Kristeligt Dagblad.
  • Lartillot, Olivier; Swarbrick, Dana; Upham, Finn & Cancino-Chacón, Carlos Eduardo (2023). Video visualization of a string quartet performance of a Bach Fugue: Design and subjective evaluation.
  • Swarbrick, Dana (2023). Song Talk Radio: Interview with Dana Swarbrick and Alex Whorms.
  • Swarbrick, Dana; Upham, Finn; Erdem, Cagri; Jensenius, Alexander Refsum & Vuoskoski, Jonna Katariina (2022). Measuring Virtual Audiences with The MusicLab App: Proof of Concept.
  • Hermant, Louise & Swarbrick, Dana (2022). Les concerts dans le métavers, un nouveau monde ? (Concerts in the Metaverse, a new world?). [Journal]. La Libre Belgique.
  • Swarbrick, Dana; Upham, Finn; McAdams, Stephen; Trainor, Laurel & Merrill, Julia (2022). Concert Experiment Research - Reflections on Past and Future.
  • Swarbrick, Dana & Vuoskoski, Jonna Katariina (2022). Collectively Classical: Social Connectedness at a Classical Concert.
  • Swarbrick, Dana & Vuoskoski, Jonna Katariina (2022). Collectively Classical: Social connection at a classical concert.
  • Swarbrick, Dana & Vuoskoski, Jonna Katariina (2022). Collectively Classical: Social connection at a classical concert.
  • Swarbrick, Dana & Whorms, Alex (2022). LIVELab Concert Experiment - Audience Motion and Emotion - Effects of Participation and Shared Presence on Motion, Emotion, and Bonding.
  • Swarbrick, Dana (2022). Being in Concert: Audience Motion, Emotion, and Bonding.
  • Fu, Nicole; Bosnyak, Dan; Rollo, Susan Marsh; Vuoskoski, Jonna Katariina; Trainor, Laurel & Swarbrick, Dana (2022). Being in Concert: The effects of audience participation on engagement, kama muta, and connectedness.
  • Swarbrick, Dana (2021). Researching Live and Virtual Concert Audiences.
  • Swarbrick, Dana & Onderdijk, Kelsey (2021). Livestream Experiments During the Pandemic.
  • Swarbrick, Dana (2021). Measuring the virtual concert experience: Social connection, emotion, and motion.
  • Swarbrick, Dana; Upham, Finn; Erdem, Cagri; Burnim, Kayla & Jensenius, Alexander Refsum (2021). The MusicLab App – Exploring the usage of mobile accelerometry to measure audience movement and respiration.
  • Swarbrick, Dana (2021). Queens Pub Concert.
  • S?rb?, Solveig & Swarbrick, Dana (2021). Dana Swarbrick on pandemusicology and her own music - Solveigs Speisa Musikk. [Radio]. Radiorakel (and distributed to Spotify).
  • Shortall, Emma; Swarbrick, Dana & Humiston, Molly (2021). Pandemic Streaming: A Documentary. [Internet]. YouTube Documentary.
  • Swarbrick, Dana & Halvorsen, Bj?rn Egil (2021). Ny forskningsstudie: Musikk demper korona-fortvilelsen best. [Journal]. Aftenposten.
  • Swarbrick, Dana & Onderdijk, Kelsey (2021). Enhancing Digital Concerts: Social Connection, Presence, and Virtual Reality.
  • Swarbrick, Dana; Upham, Finn; Erdem, Cagri; Burnim, Kayla & Jensenius, Alexander Refsum (2021). MusicLab Algorave – An exploratory study examining the usage of mobile accelerometry to measure movements of a virtual concert audience.
  • Swarbrick, Dana & Onderdijk, Kelsey (2021). Livestream Experiments: The Role of COVID-19, Agency, Presence, and Social Context in Facilitating Social Connectedness.
  • Swarbrick, Dana (2021). Being in Concert: Audience Motion, Emotion, and Bonding.
  • Swarbrick, Dana; Grinspun, Noemi; Seibt, Beate & Vuoskoski, Jonna Katariina (2020). Virtually Together: Concerts during the Coronavirus.
  • Swarbrick, Dana; Seibt, Beate; Grinspun, Noemi & Vuoskoski, Jonna Katariina (2020). Virtually together: Concerts during the coronavirus.
  • Swarbrick, Dana; Grinspun, Noemi; Seibt, Beate & Vuoskoski, Jonna Katariina (2020). Quarantine Concerts.
  • Swarbrick, Dana; Seibt, Beate; Grinspun, Noemi & Vuoskoski, Jonna Katariina (2020). Virtually Together: Concerts during the Coronavirus.
  • Nordmark, Kristin Nagy & Swarbrick, Dana (2020). Karentenekonserter gir viktige sosiale opplevelser. Apollon : 澳门葡京手机版app下载smagasin for Universitetet i Oslo. ISSN 0803-6926.
  • Swarbrick, Dana (2020). Nyhetsmorgen - radio (https://radio.nrk.no/serie/nyhetsmorgen/NPUB32010920?fbclid=IwAR07rA_odCCwd4tiHJDMLoNp7BWteHgosBJw9qi7_jna0u2SXbZJ5zw0OGk#t=1h14m30s).