معرفی
Melissa Forbes is an Associate Professor in Contemporary Singing-Music at the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ), Australia. She is affiliated with the School of Creative Arts, the Institute for Resilient Regions, and the Centre for Heritage and Culture. As a music practitioner-researcher, her work bridges jazz performance, singing pedagogy, and community music practices.
- Qualifications: BA, BMusic, BA(Hons), LLB(Hons), PhD (QldConservatorium)
- Professional Memberships: Australian National Association for Teachers of Singing (ANATS), Australian Music and Psychology Society (AMPS), International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA), American Psychological Association (APA), Society for Education and Music Psychology Research (SEMPRE), European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music (ESCOM), Somatic Voicework ™ The LoVetri Method Teachers’ Association
Her research focuses on the lived experience of music-making and singing through lenses like positive psychology, embodied cognition, and positive leadership. She employs qualitative research methods to position singing as a practice for health and wellbeing. Recent articles highlight her work on Broadway vocal practices, social prescribing, and gender bias in jazz standards.
- Key article themes include: musical identity, collaborative learning, voice pedagogy, positive leadership, embodied cognition, and community music therapy.
Scientific awards include:
- 2010 - Churchill Fellow
- 2021 - Senior Fellow, Higher Education Academy (UK)
- 2025 - Dudley Knight Award for Outstanding Vocal Scholarship
Melissa supervises Higher Degree Research (HDR) students in music pedagogy and psychology. She coordinates HDR programs and leads academic teams at UniSQ. Her community engagement includes founding Park n Songs, a singing group for people with Parkinson’s, which earned her the 2022 UniSQ Vice-Chancellor's Award for Community Engagement.
