Lighting up the stage

Lincoln local Michelle Keating is passionate about performing arts and loves making a difference in the community as a music tutor. While sitting inside The Lincoln Pantry gazing out at the rain, she reminisced about performing on stage as a child. She now runs music lessons in Lincoln.
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“I started Vocal Tones in 2022 after moving to Lincoln from Lower Hutt where I grew up. I teach singing, beginner piano, and help people with vocal injuries and voice disorders. I also work at Ashburton Hospital as a Speech Therapist working with people with serious illnesses. Getting a job there was also why I moved to Lincoln.”
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Specialising in music and health science is rewarding for Michelle. She studied performing arts and speech pathology at university and was inspired by The Sound of Music star Julie Andrews who suffered from a vocal injury that permanently affected her singing voice. Vocal health is about protecting the voice, and it is becoming more recognised in New Zealand.
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“Working in a hospital can be tough so it’s a good balance for me teaching music as well. It’srewarding seeing my students conquer a new song each week!”
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Michelle recently travelled to Malta to attend a speech therapy conference and spent a few weeks holidaying in Spain soaking up the warm weather, history, and culture.
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Still beaming from her trip, Michelle’s face lit up as she talked about what’s on the horizon. Her students are preparing for the Vocal Tones End of Year Showcase on 14th December at the Lincoln Event Centre. She is also keeping busy as co-vice president of the NZ Association of Teachers of Singing (NEWZATS) and looks forward to connecting and collaborating with music teachers in Selwyn.

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