In this episode, Melissa speaks with choral conductor and soprano Joanna Brooke about her unique approach to music-making that sits at the intersection of musical excellence and trauma-informed care. Joanna shares how she creates spaces where people can reconnect with their birthright to sing, moving beyond Western cultural barriers of musical elitism to foster genuine human connection through voice.

Drawing on her background in social work and over 10 years of choral conducting experience, Joanna discusses her innovative practice of reclaiming improvisation, shifting from production-focused to expression-centered music-making, and developing what she calls "singing as collective care" - the focus of her new PhD at the University of Melbourne.

Confronting Musical Elitism

• How Western contexts create feelings of unworthiness around singing
• The concept of singing as a birthright versus attachment to skill and ability
• Creating spaces for people to shed learned limitations and reconnect with organic vocal expression

Trauma-Informed Musical Practice

• Setting up spaces with trauma-informed principles without pathologizing the experience
• The importance of choice, safety, and never requiring solo participation
• Viewing disconnection from singing as trauma work requiring restoration

Reclaiming Improvisation

• Moving beyond jazz and classical virtuosity concepts to experimental, free-form singing
• Using musical motifs and compositional structures as containers for safe exploration
• The role of power-sharing and authentic participation by musical leaders

From Production to Expression

• Shifting focus from audience-oriented outcomes to present-moment experience
• Balancing expression-centered goals with aesthetically pleasing results
• The trauma-informed importance of ensuring beautiful collective sound

Feminine Leadership in Music

• Challenging masculine conducting stereotypes of control and certainty
• Exploring communal, open, fluid, and emotional leadership approaches
• The gendered aspects of musical leadership and ethics of care

Arts and Health Integration

• Bridging the gap between artistic practice and therapeutic outcomes
• The distinction between art-making and therapy while acknowledging therapeutic benefits
• Creating dialogue between arts and health practitioners

Joanna Brooke is a choral conductor and soprano based in Melbourne with over 10 years of experience leading choirs. She currently serves as musical director of the Monash University Choral Society and has worked as artistic director of the Jubilate Singers and with Gondwana Choirs.

With training in social work, Joanna's unique practice sits at the intersection of music and trauma-informed care. She leads research into trauma-informed creative arts interventions and presents at arts health conferences and events. In 2025, she commenced a PhD at the University of Melbourne exploring "singing as collective care."

Find Joanna on LinkedIn

Jane York shares her insights on the importance of community music-making, creating safe and playful spaces for singers, and how language choices can either include or exclude participants. She discusses her approach to leading community singing groups, including her "show and tell" performance model that creates a more comfortable alternative to traditional concert performances.

- The importance of community in our individualistic society - How community music provides connection across social barriers - Creating safe, playful environments for amateur musicians - The role of vulnerability and authenticity in music leadership - Depressurising the musical experience through humour and self-deprecation - Language choices that promote inclusivity in community music settings - Alternative performance models that prioritise connection over perfection - The transformative power of singing together

- "Please make some loud mistakes, you know, because that's how we learn, and that's how we, you know, improve. So it's a constant reiteration of this is a safe place to just be learning and not perfect yet, and we only learn through being bad at something multiple times. And then we improve." - Jane York - "The way the voice, the sound, changes, the strength, the vulnerability depending on our lived experiences, depending on what we're going through - it is really beautiful." - Jane York - "I'm not very interested in that old fashioned dynamic of expert and the students. I hope that my groups feel like we're just on a journey together." - Jane York - "I love music, and that's the impression I want to leave - just my deep love of the music that I'm teaching them, and my love of singing as opposed to my expertise at singing." - Jane York

Jane York is the founder of several community music initiatives including contemporary community choir Just Holla, workshop project Big Feminist Sing, and the ukulele group Strumming Singers. Her music leadership roles span universities, health and arts organisations, and community centres. Jane is also a regular guest conductor for many choirs, an experienced festival choir leader, and workshop facilitator. During Melbourne's COVID lockdowns, she led online lunchtime live sing-alongs, maintaining musical community when people needed it most. Jane can often be found leading singing at protests and fundraisers, using music as a tool for social change and community building.

- Jane on LinkedIn

Both positive psychology and music leadership focus on human potential and growth. While traditional psychology often focuses on fixing what's wrong, positive psychology emphasizes developing what's strong - a principle that aligns perfectly with effective music leadership. Understanding our character strengths helps us lead authentically, create psychologically safe spaces for music making, and guide others toward meaningful musical experiences.

In this episode, Dr. Raina Murnak explores how positive psychology's emphasis on character strengths can transform music education and leadership. Whether leading a classroom, choir, or ensemble, knowing your strengths signature helps you lead from a place of authenticity rather than trying to emulate others.

Key Topics

• What is positive psychology, and how does it differ from "toxic positivity"?
• Character strengths assessment and development
• Breaking free from the performer/teacher binary in music careers
• The importance of authenticity in teaching and performance
• Challenging traditional approaches to music education

Notable Quotes

• "Nothing leads with its worst part and becomes something that we love. But music training ends up being that way."
• "Every moment that I perceived as a failure or something I wasn't really great at doing is because I was violating my own principles."
• "When you are really in flow with yourself, great things happen."

Resources Mentioned

• VIA Character Strengths Survey
• "Positive Psychology for Music Professionals: Character Strengths" by Raina Murnak and Nancy Kirsner (Routledge)
• Dr Rick Hanson's HEAL method for hardwiring positivity: Have the experience, Enrich it, Absorb it, Link it

About Dr. Raina Murnak

Assistant Professor and Director of Contemporary Voice and Performance Artistry at the University of Miami's Frost School of Music. With over 20 years of collegiate music teaching experience, Dr. Murnak has developed innovative approaches to music education combining positive psychology with practical industry skills.

Follow Raina on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rainasiforbeauty/

Raina's website

Episode Highlights

• The importance of understanding and working with your character strengths
• How positive psychology can transform music education Breaking down traditional barriers in music theory teaching
• The value of authenticity in musical expression
• Expanding career possibilities for musicians beyond performing and teaching

Connect with Melissa Forbes on LinkedIn Join the conversation about positive music leadership and community music making and share your thoughts about this episode using #LeadingNotes

Leading Notes is a podcast exploring innovative approaches to music leadership and education. Find more episodes at https://leadingnotespodcast.podbean.com/

This project was made possible by The Winston Churchill Trust’s Impact Fund, supporting Churchill Fellows to achieve impact in Australia following their Fellowship travels. Read more about the Churchill Trust and other Fellowship stories at ChurchillFellowship.com.au