Hi Nathan! Your research masters topic sounds intriguing. Will it be public when completed? I’d love to see it.
I’d be happy to answer some questions about how I’m using melodicas in an (I think) unusual context. I play vibrandoneon and various Hammond melodions including bass melodion with my Breslov Bar Band project. Not so much original composition (aside from intros/interludes/riffs/improvisation) as exploring the sound including layering it with various other reed instruments like clarinet, bass clarinet and/or baritone sax. (You can get a surprisingly effective funk reed section with melodica, clarinet, and baritone sax.) Klezmer and Middle/Eastern music meets rock, ska, reggae, punk
You can find more info including audio samples and contact me through the Breslov Bar Band website