'Student's Voice' Bursary Winners: Jessica Ruhle and Alexis Shiu (left to right)
At our 2024 Conference 'Harmony in Voice: Bridging Art and Science', we introduced the 'Student's Voice' Bursary which covered 100% of the registration fee to two tertiary students enrolled in degrees focusing on the voice.
Our two recipients, Jessica Ruhle and Alexis Shiu (pictured above, left to right) were asked to share their thoughts and learnings on the conference, below.
We are grateful to keynote speaker Stuart Maunder for making this initiative possible.
We look forward to providing similar opportunities to students in the future.
Review from Alexis Shiu
Reflection on the 2024 AVA Conference: A Student’s Perspective
I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to attend the 2024 Australian Voice Association (AVA) Conference "Harmony in Voice: Bridging Art & Science" as a Student's Voice Bursary recipient. The event was an inspiring experience, bringing together experts from diverse areas within the voice field to share their insights and research. As a Speech Pathology student, this was a unique chance to engage with professionals whose work I have long admired and to gain a deeper understanding of voice care across various specialties.
One of the highlights for me was hearing from presenters with expertise in areas ranging from gender-affirming voice therapy to paediatric voice, along with insights into the science of voice care. The presentations on gender-affirming voice care were particularly meaningful to me, especially because advocacy work is an indivisible part of this field. I aspire to support individuals in embracing themselves and expressing their authentic selves through voice.
I also enjoyed the artistic side of the conference, particularly during the Masterclass with Stuart Maunder. Watching young singers work on text and storytelling in classical and musical theatre genres was a wonderful reminder of how powerful and expressive the human voice can be. On the science side, the live endoscopy session was fascinating—it was an incredible opportunity to see the physiological mechanisms of the voice in action.
The conference also provided valuable networking opportunities, allowing me to connect with professionals and fellow students who share the enthusiasm for voice therapy. It was both encouraging and motivating to see how dedicated the AVA community is to advancing voice care in Australia.
Overall, the AVA conference was an enriching experience that not only expanded my knowledge but also reaffirmed my strong interest in working in the voice space. I look forward to applying what I have learned as I continue my journey in speech pathology and contribute to this vibrant field.
Thank you again to the AVA for this amazing opportunity!
Review from Jessica Ruhle
Harmony in Voice: Peace of Mind
On the 5th and 6th of October, I had the privilege of attending the Australian Voice Association’s Conference held at Citadines hotel in Melbourne after receiving a bursary. The theme of this conference was Harmony in Voice, and speakers and attendees spanned widely across the professions of speech pathology, physiotherapy, medicine, music teaching and vocal performance. Across the weekend, we participated in workshops, masterclasses, and literature sessions which explored current research in the field of voice.
Without a doubt, the volume of new information presented was overwhelming, and the amount of expertise in the room made me feel very out of place as a humble 4th year undergrad student. That was, until we participated in a workshop titled Tune up - Experiential Body, Breath and Voice Integration, led by Sarah Wilmot. Suddenly, the whole room was singing, laughing and learning together and I felt like I could belong in this room of highly intelligent, yet down to earth, individuals.
As a speech pathology student and a singer, it was such a treat to combine these interest areas and learn from the best of the best on topics such as manual therapy, vocal pedagogy and endoscopy techniques. Some quotes that have stayed with me from the conference include Annie Strauch saying, “the more you know, the less you know” in regard to healthcare research, and Stephen King reassuring everyone that, “we are doing more than just being nice” when talking about working within the biopsychosocial model of care.
Now that I’m back home in Brisbane, I have been able to reflect on my learnings from this experience. Overall, my main takeaway was that I am at the very start of my career, and it is exciting to ponder that maybe one day I will be able to share the findings from my extensive research and clinical career too - who knows!? Finally, though I felt out of place initially, attending this conference gave me the peace of mind that I can belong in this field and this community, and I can’t wait to get started.
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