© Dominique Wollniok |
Lisa Schön Dr.in Guest Researcher
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Lisa Schön is a DAAD-funded postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Music Sociology at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. Her current research explores the relationship between music and wellbeing among young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, with a particular interest in social inequality and mental health.
Her previous work focused on music and dementia, resulting in the publication of Musikhören mit Demenz (Music Listening with Dementia), published by transcript Verlag.
In addition to her research and her work as a musicology lecturer, she is also a music journalist, writing portraits and interviews for the Musikkollegium Winterthur Music Magazine. She also teaches creative writing and acts as a reading moderator.
Work and Research Areas
Music, Wellbeing and Social inequality
Individualized Music Listening for People with Dementia
Music and Wellbeing among Young Adults from Disadvantaged Backgrounds
Popular Music Analysis
Qualitative Social Research
Academic Education
01/2021-07/2024 Doctorate (Dr. phil.) in Musicology, University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar
10/2018-12/2020 Master of Arts in Musicology, University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar
10/2015-09/2018 Bachelor of Arts in Musicology, University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar
Academic Positions
10/2025-03/2026 Lecturer in Musicology; Seminar “Talking about Music – Practical Workshop (Music) Science Podcast”; University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar
06/2022-07/2025 Research Associate; Research project “Individualized Music for People with Dementia in Home Care,” led by Prof. Dr. Gabriele Wilz; implementation of the study project, publication of study results in international journals, presentation of study results at international conferences; Friedrich Schiller University Jena
10/2022-03/2023 Lecturer in Musicology; Seminar “Music and Memory – Perception, Effect and Experience of Music and its Neurophysiological Basis”; University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar
02/2020-04/2020 Research Intern; Preparation of empirical studies, literature research, database maintenance; Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics (MPIAE), Frankfurt am Main
10/2018-12/2020 Research Assistant; Research project “Individualized Music for People with Dementia in Institutional Care,” led by Prof. Dr. Gabriele Wilz; implementation of the study project, evaluation of qualitative research data; Friedrich Schiller University Jena
01/2017-12/2017 Research Assistant; Institute for Cultural Management; research activities, preparatory work for teaching and event organization; University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar
Publications
Monographs
Schön, L. (2025). Musikhören mit Demenz. Fallstudien – Wirkungen – Anwendungen [Music Listening with Dementia. Case Studies – Effects – Applications]. Bielefeld: transcript. https://doi.org/10.14361/97838394 00357
Reviewed in:
Biebert, L. (2025). Musikhören mit Demenz. Fallstudien – Wirkungen – Anwendungen [Music Listening with Dementia. Case Studies – Effects – Applications]. Klangakt 3/1. https://doi.org/10.5282/klangakt/96.
Peer-reviewed Articles
Schön, L. (2026). Sounding the Self: Music-Evoked Nostalgia as a Means to Engage with the Past, Present, and Self in People with Dementia. Musicology Australia. Under review.
Schön, L., Fischer, L., Weise, L., & Wilz, G. (2025). Same music, same effect? A musical analysis of the emotional qualities expressed in Griechischer Wein by Udo Jürgens and their alignment with reactions observed in people with dementia. Music & Science. Under Review.
Schön, L., Weise, L., Wilz, G. (2025). Tuning in to the Individual: Customizing Individualized Music Listening for Diverse Needs in People with Dementia. Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference Psychology and Music – Interdisciplinary Encounters, Zagreb, 23–26 October 2024, S. 136-142. https://doi.org/10.17234/9789533793085.17
Schön, L., Jakob, E., Wilz, G. (2025). Still got the groove – Rhythmic physical synchronization to individualized music observed in people with dementia. SAMPLES 22. https://gfpm-samples.de/index.php/samples/article/view/340/309.
Schön, L.CO, Töpfer, N. F.CO, Jakob, E., Hillebrand, M. C., Reichertz, J., Rother, D., Weise, L., & Wilz, G. (2024). Sounds of Difference: A Typology of Reactions of People with Dementia to Individualized Music in the Presence of a Monitoring Person. The Gerontologist 64/6. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnad171.
Meininger, J., Schön, L., Rother, D., & Wilz, G. (2023). ,Die alten Lieder, die man nicht vergisst‘. Lieblingsmusik für Menschen mit Demenz [,The old songs you never forget.‘ Individualized music for people with dementia]. ProAlter 55/1, S. 46–49.
Conference Presentations (selection)
2026
Schön, L. (2026). Gute Vibes? Wohlbefinden durch populäre Musik bei jungen Erwachsenen aus benachteiligten Lebensverhältnissen [On-site presentation]. Konferenz "Vibe Cultures – Phänomene, Diskurse, Ideologien", Heinrich-Heine-University, Duesseldorf, Germany.
Schön, L. (2026). Gleiche Musik, gleiche Wirkung? Musikalische Ausdrucksqualitäten in Griechischer Wein im Abgleich mit den bei Menschen mit Demenz beobachteten Reaktionen [On-site presentation]. Closing Conference for the project “Individualized Music for People with Dementia Living in Home Care - Acceptance and Effectiveness of an App-Based Music Intervention“, Forum Seebach, Weimar, Germany.
Schön, L., Fischer, L., Weise, L., Wilz, G. (2026). Same music, same effect? – A musical analysis of the emotional qualities expressed in “Griechischer Wein” by Udo Jürgens and their alignment with reactions observed in people with dementia [Poster presentation online]. SEMPRE PGR/ECR Conference, Faculty of Music, University of Cambridge, UK.
2025
Schön, L. (2025). Musikhören mit Demenz. Fallstudien – Wirkungen – Anwendungen [Music Listening with Dementia. Case Studies – Effects – Applications] [On-site presentation]. Annual Conference of the Austrian Society for Musicology, Anton Bruckner Private University Linz, Austria.
Schön, L., Weise, L., Wilz, G. (2025). Individualized Music Listening for People with Dementia in East Germany - Music Biographical Perspectives and their Relevance for Dementia Care in Thuringia [On-site presentation]. IASPM CESE 1st international conference, Krakow, Poland.
Schön, L., Geßner, S., Kaiser, M., Kalytta, T., Rother, D., Weise, L., Wilz, G. (2025). Individualized music listening for people with dementia using the Individualized Music and Dementia app: First results of an app-based music intervention in home care [Online presentation]. 18th International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition (ICMPC), São Paulo, Brazil.
Schön, L. (2025). Sounding the Self: Music as a Means to Engage with the Past, Present, and Self in People with Dementia [Online presentation]. Conference on “Music and Mediation,” Elder Conservatorium of Music, Adelaide, Australia.
Schön, L., Weise, L., Wilz, G. (2025). How to Listen: Key Considerations for Tailoring Individualized Music Listening to the Diverse Needs of People with Dementia [On-site presentation]. SEMPRE Spring Conference, Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, UK.
2024
Schön, L., Töpfer, N. F., Jakob, E., Hillebrand, M. C., Reichertz, J., Rother, D., Weise, L., & Wilz, G. (2024). Sounds of Difference: A Typology of Reactions of People with Dementia to Individualized Music in the Presence of a Monitoring Person [On-site presentation]. 3rd International Conference Psychology and Music – Interdisciplinary Encounters, Zagreb, Croatia.
Schön, L., Geßner, S., Jakob, E., Rother, D., Weise, L., & Wilz, G. (2024). Individualisierte Musik für Menschen mit Demenz, die zu Hause leben - Akzeptanz und Effektivität einer App-basierten Musikintervention (IMuD-App) [Individualized music for people with dementia living at home – acceptance and effectiveness of an app-based music intervention (IMuD app)] [On-site presentation]. Conference on “Music and Dementia,” Hamburg, Germany.
Schön, L. (2024). Individualisiertes Musikhören für Menschen mit Demenz. Reflexion eines interdisziplinären Dissertationsprojekts [Individualized music listening for people with dementia. Reflection on an interdisciplinary dissertation project] [On-site presentation]. Annual Conference of the Society for Music Research (GfM), Cologne, Germany.
Schön, L., Jakob, E., Rother, D., Geßner, S., Weise, L., & Wilz, G. (2024). Individualisierte Musik für Menschen mit Demenz, die zu Hause leben - Akzeptanz und Effektivität einer App-basierten Musikintervention (IMuD-App) [Individualized music for people with dementia living at home – acceptance and effectiveness of an app-based music intervention (IMuD app)] [Poster presentation]. 40th Annual Conference of the German Society for Music Psychology (DGM), Munich, Germany.
2023
Schön, L., Rother, D., Meininger, J., Jakob, L., Hillebrand, M.C., Weise, L., & Wilz, G. (2023). Individualized music for people with dementia living at home - acceptance and effectiveness of an app-based music intervention (IMuD-App) [Poster presentation]. Workshop des Center for Lifespan Developmental Science (CELISE), Jena, Germany.
Schön, L. (2023). „Still got the groove“ – Körperlich-rhythmische Synchronisation zu individualisierter Musik bei Menschen mit Demenz [“Still got the groove” – Physical-rhythmic synchronization to individualized music in people with dementia] [On-site presentation]. Annual Conference of the Society for Popular Music Research (GFPM), Siegen, Germany.
Schön, L., Töpfer, N.F., Jakob, E., Hillebrand, M.C., Reichertz, J., Rother, D., Weise, L., & Wilz, G. (2023). Sounds of difference. Entwicklung einer Typologie von Reaktionen auf individualisierte Musik bei Menschen mit Demenz [Sounds of difference. Developing a typology of reactions to individualized music in people with dementia] [Poster presentation]. 39th Annual Conference of the German Society for Music Psychology (DGM), Hanover, Germany.
Schön, L. (2023). Individualisierte Musik als Chance im Umgang mit Menschen mit Demenz [Individualized music as a chance in working with people with dementia] [On-site presentation]. 35th DVSM Early Career Symposium “Musicology in Times of Trouble,” University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar, Germany.