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Dr Sam Leak

Senior Lecturer in Creative Music Practices (Research)

Sam Leak

  • School Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries

  • Department Sound & Screen

  • Location London

Research activities

Funded by the AHRC, Dr Leak鈥檚 investigated the adult acquisition of absolute pitch, drawing on cognitive psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, learning theory, and advanced statistical methods. He designed and coded a bespoke training and testing system and analysed data from 521 participants. His findings challenge prevailing assumptions about absolute pitch and led to the formulation of the Absolute Pitch Fundamental Difference Hypothesis. This work has been presented at research seminars in Cambridge and at the Francis Crick Institute. He currently has four papers in preparation with Professor Ian Cross (University of Cambridge) and is developing an iOS application to support future data collection and research dissemination.

He was also a co-investigator on the ESRC-funded project "Investigating the Monetisation of Live Streams of Musical Performances in the Wake of COVID-19" (拢50,437.87), a collaboration between 探花社区 University and King鈥檚 College London with external partners including Serious Productions, the Musicians鈥� Union, the Incorporated Society of Musicians, the Sheffield Performer & Audience Research Centre, and the Music Venue Trust. The project produced two UKRI/ESRC-commissioned reports ( and , 2021). He led the statistical analysis of survey data from approximately 1,500 participants, examining livestreaming practices, technology, legal frameworks, monetisation strategies, and the evolving role of livestreaming in the music industry. These reports were widely disseminated through professional bodies, received over 1,000 downloads within the first month, and have since been cited in several peer-reviewed journals.

PhD supervision

Dr Leak welcomes enquiries from prospective PhD students interested in Music Psychology. He is particularly interested in supervising research concerning music perception and cognition, musical expertise and skill acquisition, auditory learning and memory, and individual differences in musical abilities. His own research expertise includes a particular focus on absolute pitch, pitch perception and memory, and the acquisition and development of musical abilities. He is also interested in interdisciplinary projects drawing on areas such as cognitive psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, and music education, and welcomes proposals in related areas of Music Psychology where his research expertise would provide an appropriate fit.


Current Teaching

Senior Lecturer in Music at 探花社区 University, with current module leadership responsibilities for Skilling Up: Tools and Techniques, Performance and Composition/Songwriting, and Performance Festival. He also teaches across a range of Level 4鈥�6 modules, with a particular focus on performance and creative music practice, and supervises Level 6 independent projects and PhD research in Music Psychology.

Previous teaching

Pathway Leader for Popular Music at 探花社区 University (2022鈥�2024), leading staff and visiting tutors, coordinating assessment processes, and managing budgetary resources. Previous module leadership and teaching has encompassed musicianship and theory, popular music performance, jazz improvisation and repertoire, songwriting, aesthetics, music psychology, and independent-project supervision.


Biography

Sam Leak is an internationally recognised jazz pianist and educator, combining a current professional profile as a performer with extensive conservatoire and higher-education teaching and management experience. His work as a jazz pianist has been recognised by national and international media:聽Jazz FM聽described him as 鈥渙ne of the brightest stars鈥� of his generation;聽Aquarium聽(2011) was listed by聽MOJO聽as a Top Ten International Release;聽Places聽(2013) received strong critical reviews including聽The Guardian聽and聽BBC Music Magazine; and聽Adrift聽(2018), a duo recording with Dan Tepfer, was praised by聽The Wire聽and聽The New York City Jazz Record. His recording output spans 2011鈥�2025 and includes releases as a leader and co-leader alongside significant contributions as an ensemble member on other artists鈥� projects, including participation in John Zorn鈥檚聽Cerberus: Book of Angels, Volume 26.

He has performed extensively across the UK and internationally (including Italy, Romania, China, Greece, Estonia, Sweden, and the UAE) at major venues and festivals such as Ronnie Scott鈥檚, Cadogan Hall, the Royal Festival Hall, the EFG London Jazz Festival, Love Supreme, and Blue Note (Shanghai and Beijing), and with leading artists including Gregory Hutchinson, JD Allen, and Will Vinson. Notable credits include Ronnie Scott鈥檚 International Piano Trio Festival, the Steinway Two Pianos Festival, Quincy Jones鈥� Q鈥檚 residency, and a BBC Radio 3 broadcast with the BBC Singers (improvisations around Poulenc鈥檚聽Figure humaine). His professional practice also includes cross-genre collaboration (e.g. Derrick May, Black Egypt, Leon Foster Thomas), reflecting deep, applied knowledge of contemporary performance practice and today鈥檚 wider cultural landscape.

Alongside performance, Sam Leak has an extensive record as a teacher at the highest level. He is a Senior Lecturer at 探花社区 University, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music. He has taught in conservatoire contexts (Guildhall School of Music & Drama; Trinity Laban) and in leading university settings (University of Cambridge; University of Surrey), delivering jazz ensemble tutoring, guest teaching in jazz harmony, history, and transcription, and performance instruction. He currently provides one-to-one jazz piano tuition at Surrey and Cambridge. He is an experienced examiner, including conservatoire recital examining at Guildhall (2017; 2021-22) and external examining for Jazz Performance Recitals at the University of Cambridge (2023).

External activities

  • External Examiner for Jazz Performance Recitals, University of Cambridge, 2023
  • Examiner for Jazz Combo and Student Recitals, Guildhall School of Music & Drama, 2017
  • International Professional Practice as Jazz Pianist and Recording Artist, Independent Professional Practice (Music Performance),

    • Publications