Leading Notes Podcast copertina

Leading Notes Podcast

Leading Notes Podcast

Di: Melissa Forbes
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A proposito di questo titolo
 Make music that matters.Copyright 2024 All rights reserved. Igiene e vita sana Musica Psicologia Psicologia e salute mentale Scienze sociali
Episodi
  • 20. We are the system: Self-awareness, systems thinking, and community leadership, with Lauren Carnegie

    20. We are the system: Self-awareness, systems thinking, and community leadership, with Lauren Carnegie
    Oct 31 2026
    Today’s world asks leaders to keep moving fast, yet good leadership needs room to stop and think. In this episode, Melissa speaks with Lauren Carnegie, Leadership Portfolio Director at the Committee for Geelong and Vice President of the community orchestra Awkwardstra, about leading at the intersection of systems thinking and human-centred practice. Lauren explains why leaders need to see themselves as part of the system they want to change, and why the most useful question is often “how might my behaviour be contributing?” rather than “what does that person need to do differently?” She describes three levels of awareness: self-awareness, deep listening, and systems awareness. She also talks about “composting” (deciding what to let go of) and why calling timeout may be one of the most important things a leader can do right now. At Awkwardstra, Lauren shows how these ideas work in a community orchestra. She talks about values that came from the members rather than the committee, how something as simple as choosing repertoire can affect whether a player walks in the door, and the tension between what funders ask for and what members value on a Monday night. She finishes with a story about being terrified, and then exhilarated, while learning to improvise on groove cello. Key Topics Discussed Reconnecting to what really matters, and moving from “what do you want to be?” to “who do you want to be?”Combining systems-level thinking with human-centred leadershipWhy “the system” isn’t something out there: we are the systemCollective intelligence, emergence, and finding the way forward togetherThe pace of modern work, and the case for calling timeout“Composting”: what we stop doing so there’s room for new thingsMoving away from locating problems in individualsThe gap between intention and impactThree levels of awareness: self-awareness, deep listening, and systems awarenessThe emotional side of working with complexity, including agency and accepting partial understandingInvesting in community leaders as an investment in community resilienceBuilding a welcoming culture for adult musicians returning to their instrumentsValues that emerge from members and change as the organisation growsHow every decision in a community music group has ripple effectsGrant funding, mission drift, and valuing process over performanceLearning to trust yourself through improvisation and groove cello Notable Quotes “We also need to remember that we are the system, and that systems change involves something that’s within us and outside of us.” “The even harder question to ask is, how might my behaviour be contributing to that situation?” “We’ve become really good at responding to that context, but kind of less good at stopping long enough to actually decide whether we’re responding to the right things.” “Community leaders are often the ones that spot what’s missing. And they hold invisible threads of connection in a community.” “It’s really easy to just assume that the way we see something is the reality, where in actual fact, it’s really just our story of the reality.” “What are we seeing in this community already? And what are people noticing? How do we name that? And then once you name it, you keep becoming it.” Resources Mentioned Committee for GeelongAwkwardstra community orchestra, GeelongGroove Cello Academy and teacher Daniel Zellaney The window of tolerance“Dance the Night” from the Barbie movie“The Swan” (Saint-Saëns) About Guest Lauren Carnegie is the Leadership Portfolio Director at the Committee for Geelong, a nonpartisan voice for Geelong’s long-term future. She leads the Leaders for Geelong program, one of ten community leadership programs across Victoria that develop the next generation of regional leaders. Through her business, Learn and Lead, Lauren helps leaders and organisations reconnect with their purpose, their people, and the communities they serve. She also helps them handle complexity and design ways of working that are sustainable, human, and focused on the future. Lauren is Vice President of Awkwardstra, a community orchestra in Geelong. She is a classically trained cellist and has recently started playing groove cello. Connect with Guest LinkedIn
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    49 min
  • 19. Why did we get so weird about singing, and what can we do about it? with Fiona Maria

    19. Why did we get so weird about singing, and what can we do about it? with Fiona Maria
    Aug 31 2026
    In this episode, Fiona joins Melissa to unpack why so many adults quietly believe they "can't sing", and what gets lost when we stop. They trace the individual, cultural, economic and technological forces that pushed singing out of everyday life, explore the idea of voice shame, and talk about why Fiona prefers to run singing circles rather than choirs. The conversation moves through the concept of singing as a "homecoming," the case for calling singing facilitators leaders, and practical ways to bring singing back into unexpected places—meetings, workplaces, aged care, and the school run. Key Topics Discussed Why singing dropped out of daily life: recorded music, smaller households, declining church attendance and hyper-individualismVoice shame – how childhood criticism becomes a lifelong story about not being a "singer"The difference between a choir and a singing circle, and why inclusion matters more than perfectionSinging as a "homecoming": reconnecting with a shared, primal human experienceWhy talking is an inefficient tool for connection compared with singing togetherReframing "singing facilitator" as "singing leader," and the case for singing as a leadership behaviourPractical ways to normalise singing: bringing it into workplaces, meetings, aged care and early childhood settingsThe link between group singing and perinatal mental health Notable Quotes "We therefore neglect singing at our peril." – Fiona Maria "Sing first, then talk, not the other way around." – Fiona Maria Resources Mentioned All Children Sing Until They're Told Not To by Fiona MariaThe Language of Leadership by Simon Lancaster (mentioned by Melissa) About Guest Fiona Maria is a singing facilitator, performer and author who lives and works on Gadigal land in Sydney, Australia. Through years of running singing circles in community and corporate settings, she became fascinated by why we've grown so uneasy about singing, and what it costs us individually and collectively to lose touch with it. Her debut book, All Children Sing Until They're Told Not To, explores the barriers—personal, cultural and economic—that stop people from thinking of themselves as singers, and makes the case for bringing singing back into everyday life. Connect with Guest Fiona's website Episode Highlights [00:00] Introducing Fiona Maria and her book[00:57] When and why we got "weird" about singing[02:26] The technological shift from home piano sing-alongs to recorded music[07:08] Voice shame and the vicious cycle of hesitancy[11:02] Singing circles vs choirs, and why the experience is the focus[13:36] Singing as a "homecoming"[19:23] Fiona's facilitation style: inclusion over perfection, safety as paramount[22:09] Reframing "facilitator" as "leader"[26:13] How to bring singing back into everyday contexts[31:07] Group singing and perinatal mental health[34:42] The magic wand question and a closing thought on connection
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    35 min
  • 18. Leading from the inside out: Inclusion, belonging, and ending loneliness, with Enya Cai

    18. Leading from the inside out: Inclusion, belonging, and ending loneliness, with Enya Cai
    Jul 31 2026
    Melissa speaks with Enya Cai, General Manager of Creativity Australia, the national charity behind the With One Voice choir network. With 26 choirs across Australia and a mission to end loneliness through group singing, Creativity Australia sits at a fascinating intersection of community music, social inclusion, and organisational leadership. Enya brings a rare perspective: a childhood spent in the Australian Girls Choir, a career spanning accounting, diversity and inclusion, government policy, and arts management, and a longstanding connection to Creativity Australia that began when she was a teenager volunteering with the organisation. In this conversation, she reflects on what community choir facilitators have in common with corporate leaders, how loneliness really shows up in the people who walk through choir doors, and why patience might be the most underrated skill in both music and life. Key Topics Discussed The With One Voice model: all-inclusive, all-abilities choirs focused on connection over musical perfectionThe skills that transfer between corporate leadership and choir facilitationHow Enya uses vocal warm-ups and arts-based activities in corporate leadership trainingWhy "human-centred" leadership faces pushback, and what's underneath that resistanceHow loneliness manifests in choir participants—and why most wouldn't identify as lonelyThe slow, patient process of belonging: how the choir model meets people where they areThe realities and complications of choir facilitation as work, including emotional wellbeing and financial sustainability Notable Quotes "The point of our choirs is not to be perfect in a musical way—it's to create connections and community wellbeing through what we know is a proven way of creating beautiful, meaningful, strong connections, and that is through singing together." "The skills required to lead in a corporate setting are just as useful, and in some cases essential, and already displayed in community music settings." "Loneliness can be voices in your head that tell you that no one wants to speak to you. Part of our work is to recognise those people and welcome them in." "Patience is one of the keys to my sustainability in this sector, but also one of the biggest lessons we can continue to learn through community music." "With one wave of my magic wand, I would like for our society to value music makers—and for them to be recognised and paid appropriately for that." Resources Mentioned With One Voice choirs — find a choir near you or enquire about facilitator training About Enya Cai Enya Cai is the General Manager of Creativity Australia, the national charity behind the With One Voice choir network—26 all-inclusive, all-abilities choirs across Australia with a mission to end loneliness through group singing. Her connection to the organisation goes back to her teenage years, when she first volunteered with the then-fledgling choir program. Since then, Enya has built a career that spans public policy in the Victorian government, diversity and inclusion at EY, freelance arts management, theatre producing, and leadership coaching for corporate clients. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Graduate Diploma of Chartered Accounting, and brings that financial and strategic acumen to the arts sector with genuine purpose. Outside of work, she loves discovering new restaurants and spending time with her cat, Jelly. Connect with Enya Cai Creativity Australia: creativityaustralia.org.auWith One Voice choirs: withonevoice.org.auLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/enyacai/ Episode Highlights 00:01:13 — What Creativity Australia does and the With One Voice mission to end loneliness02:53 — Enya's journey: from the Australian Girls Choir to accounting, diversity and inclusion, government, and back to the arts07:35 — The shared skills of corporate leaders and choir facilitators09:47 — Pushback on human-centred leadership, and what's really behind the resistance11:31 — How Enya starts leadership training: self-reflection first13:33 — Using vocal warm-ups and arts-based play in corporate training sessions16:24 — Why workplaces feel so constraining—physically and spiritually19:13 — Singing groups as workplaces: navigating the real complexities of facilitation19:39 — How loneliness actually shows up in choir participants22:19 — A story of slow, patient transformation: from sitting at the back of the room to performing on stage26:02 — How to join a With One Voice choir or train as a facilitator
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    34 min
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