Jazz, Research & Bucket-List Turns: The Moment Melissa Forbes Quit Law for Music

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Dr Melissa Forbes worked in law for 10 years until the firm's partner told a story about a bucket of water. That speech sent her straight to a jazz conservatorium, then to the research lab, and finally into community halls where group singing is healing real-world isolation.
In this episode of This Is A Voice, Jeremy Fisher & Dr Gillyanne Kayes chat with Melissa on
- the “flight-corrections” that reboot a creative life
- how positive psychology reframes practice, strength and burnout
- why participatory choirs can out-perform stadium shows in human impact
- tips for choir leaders & voice teachers who feel stuck in the “performance-only” loop
Whether you belt for Britain, lead chamber choirs, or run a voice studio, the twists and turns in Melissa’s story will spark new ideas for you and your singers.
Hit play, grab a cuppa, and let’s get vocal about making music that matters!
00:00 – A Jazz Singer, A Lawyer & A Bucket of Water Walk Into a Bar...
05:05 – Bringing the lawyer brain to music
08:50 – Is singing research a dry subject?
13:55 – Losing (& refinding) your joy in music
17:45 – Turning points for different people
22:09 – How singing helps with a crisis of social health
24:12 – Music for health and wellbeing
#CommunityChoir #PositivePsychology #VoiceScience
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Here's the link to Melissa's article on pivoting from music performance to music on prescription (it's free to access):
https://research.usq.edu.au/download/58f90447e97bc759d586fcb70ab91a7d3114d02bd6fdade8d31dbc0b1e02b81f/449105/forbes-et-al-2025-from-music-performance-to-prescription-a-guide-for-musicians-and-health-professionals.pdf
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