CARRIE GARRETT BA (Hons), PGCE, BSc (Hons), certMRCSLT, ASLTIP, HCPC

Highly Specialist Speech & Language Therapist 

Specialisms in Clinical Voice Disorders & Singing Voice Rehabilitation

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Carrie is a highly skilled UK based practitioner working in the field of vocal health, vocal rehabilitation and singing. She has 25 years experience as a singer and singing teacher, adding to her skillset when she became a certified Speech & Language Therapist in 2012. She is now clinical lead for Voice at Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust (UK) with skills in numerous diagnostic and therapeutic interventions related to her specialist field. She holds undergraduate degrees in Popular Music (Liverpool University) and a first class honours degree in Speech and Language Therapy (Birmingham City University). She is a qualified teacher of Music (PGCE) and is currently studying towards a PGCert in Healthcare Leadership.

 

Carrie contributed to the nationally recognised 'UHSM Singer’s Endoscopy Protocol', a protocol for use with singers whilst in SLT-led functional endoscopy clinics. This protocol was the culmination of many years of work from Sue Jones, Carrie Garrett and Dane Chalfin. It was published through Compton Publishing in 'Laryngeal Endoscopy and Voice Therapy: A Clinical Guide' (Jones, 2016). www.comptonpublishing.co.uk

 

She has delivered workshops and lectures on topics such as Vocal Health, Functional Endoscopy, Vocal Anatomy and Vocal Rehabilitation for Singers on behalf of the British Voice Association (BVA), Association of Teachers of Singing (AOTOS), British Association of Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM), Vocal Process, BIMM, the Association of British Choral Directors (ABCD), Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT), and the Birmingham School of Acting. 

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She is a registered Vocal Rehabilitation Coach/SLT with the British Association of Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM) and has recently become a tutor and mentor on behalf of Vocal Health Education. 

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​​​​​Hear Carrie speak about her work as an SLT with clients experiencing long covid here in her interview with Gillyanne Kayes and Jeremy Fisher or Vocal Process for their 'This is a Voice' Podcast. 

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Musical History

Originally an instrumentalist (Saxophones/ Flute/ Piano), Carrie was a music scholar, had 3x grade 8's (ABRSM) by the age of 15, was in the Midland Youth Jazz Orchestra and was a student at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (Junior Conservatoire) for Singing and Flute age 15-18, where she undertook her Advanced Diploma in Performance (ARSM).

 

She studied towards her first degree Music/Popular Music Performance in Liverpool and subsequently worked as a live performer. She has recorded multiple tracks for Northstar Music Publishing (Universal, Sky, Discovery Channel, Tiger Beer, Avon and Mercedes) and been commissioned for work with producers such as Nashville based Derek Garten (credits with Taylor Swift) and UK based Tom Gittins (Monochrome Productions). 

 

She ran a FE/HE music performance department for several years; examined for Rockschool Performance Arts Awards; moderated for Edexcel Music qualifications; taught singing at Access to Music, Birmingham and Stagecoach, Halesowen & Walsall; ran successful community choirs for a variety of ages and demographics; taught and ran workshops in schools; and guest lectured on Music Degree courses at BCU and Wolverhampton University while continuing to perform, record and teach singing privately. 

 

Speech & Language Therapy History

Before her current role as Clinical Lead for Voice within Adult SLT Services at Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, Carrie worked as a Voice Specialist SLT at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, University Hospitals Birmingham; Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, and various sites on behalf of Worcester Acute NHS Trust. 

 

She has wide ranging clinical experience, having worked with both a full time voice outpatients general caseload, within joint SLT/ENT voice clinics, and within SLT-led functional endoscopy Elite Voice User/ Professional Voice User/ Singer's Clinics, where she undertook her endoscopy competencies. Her current NHS role involves working with individuals with a wide range of swallowing and communication disorders. Clients include those experiencing Post Covid Syndrome/ Long Covid, and individuals requiring gender-affirming voice therapy (Transgender voice). 

 

Looking to the future...

Carrie is now focused upon helping other professionals with an interest in her field to rehabilitate individuals with voice problems. Helping singers and other professional voice users take control of their own vocal destinies through understanding how to prevent voice problems - coaching them to reach their full vocal potential through healthy living and good vocal technique.

 

THE SINGER'S CLINIC was launched in February 2019 in Worcestershire, UK. Originally providing one-to-one therapy and vocal coaching for individuals, the practice is now based remotely and is focused upon providing support, advice and therapy to individuals experiencing voice problems and other voice practitioners seeking guidance on how to help their own students and clients. 

 

Carrie remains committed to staying on top of current best practice through maintaining commitment to research and evidence-based methods of treatment as a member of RCSLT Voice CENs, the BVA, the BLA and through regular reading of research papers and journal articles. 

 

Professional Registrations

Carrie is professionally registered with:​​

• The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (certMRCSLT: RC0030957),

• The Health Care Professions Council (HCPC: SL30620)

• The Association of Speech & Language Therapists in Independent Practice (ASLTIP)​​

• British Association of Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM)

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