Reflections from Voice Connections 2026

As a Scholarship recipient to Voice Connections 2026, we asked Renee Shead to share her reflections from the event....

My name is Renee Shead, and I am currently studying a Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours) for my second year, part-time at Federation University. I also sing under the name Renee Skye.

My passions lie in both singing and improving quality of life. After frequent hospital visits in my youth, pursuing a career as a speech pathologist working with professional voice users feels like a natural fit. I applied to attend Voice Connection 2026 hoping to gain insight into this career from professionals with expertise and experience in this field. The conference offered a breadth of learning opportunities in voice, with a couple standing out to me.

Studying at university, I learned about multidisciplinary practice within the allied health sector. However, the ‘Coaching Young Voices’ workshop expanded my thinking to how speech pathology can translate to the musical theatre and broader arts sectors, collaborating with vocal coaches and music directors from early collaboration in auditions, through to rehearsals. My previously limited understanding of the scope of speech pathology within the arts has shifted,

allowing me to envision myself in the role and reinforcing my goal of working with voice professionals.

As a singer who both receives and occasionally assists with lessons, I have foundational knowledge of techniques that can support vocalists. Through attending Voice Connection, my understanding of approaches to support the voice has grown. I have learned methods such as the Makaton, Accent Method, Conversational Training Therapy, and techniques to better support children and older voices. Even when comprising some elements of techniques I encountered in vocal lessons or university studies, these concepts felt completely new, expanding my toolbox so I will be able to best support vocal outcomes.

I am grateful for the unique opportunity to gain knowledge directly aligned with my career goals. Due to my area of interest in speech pathology being more specialised, I was able to receive tailored information that may fall outside university curriculum. In future, I would like to work as a speech pathologist, while also teaching singing and continuing to sing myself. The knowledge I have gained will apply across each of these avenues, and my conference notes will provide an invaluable reference for ongoing skill development.

Voice Connection 2026 provided a valuable and unique learning opportunity, covering a variety of voice-related topics through seasoned professionals from three world-leading voice associations. I recommend Voice Connection to support ongoing learning, whether as a student or a professional.