Dr Rachel Drury (she/her) is a researcher and creative artist working in the field of music psychology and community arts. She is Co-Programme Lead on the new MA Psychology in the Arts (Music) programme, PhD supervisor and also teaches on the undergraduate programmes at the RCS. Aside from her work at RCS, Rachel holds the post of Music Specialist at Rachel House Children’s Hospice in Kinross (Children's Hospices Across Scotland) and works as a freelance artist. She has devised and delivered a number of creative and/or research projects for national arts organisations including Starcatchers, Scottish Opera, RSNO, BBC SSO, Children’s Classic Concerts, and Chamber Music Scotland.

Rachel is the creator and composer of BabyO and SensoryO, two ground-breaking operas for infants aged between 6 and 36 months, for which she has received international acclaim. The operas have toured extensively both nationally and internationally in partnership with Scottish Opera. Rachel’s performance credits include BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Ballet and Scottish Concert Orchestra. 

Rachel’s current creative and research work focuses on rights-based approaches in the arts for pre- and non-verbal/speaking children, and music in paediatric palliative care. Rachel’s current research interests include song-writing in therapeutic settings; music in prisons; palliative arts, and mental health in the arts.