Rate My Professor Leigh Carriage

Dr. Leigh Carriage serves as a Senior Lecturer in the Bachelor of Contemporary Music at Southern Cross University, a role she has held since 1998 within the Creative Arts section of the Faculty of Business, Law and Arts. She earned her PhD, Doctorate in Philosophy in Composition, from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music at the University of Sydney. An accomplished composer, vocalist, arranger, and vocal producer, Carriage has dedicated over 25 years to music education, specializing in songwriting, arranging, vocal production, performance, and contemporary music practices. Her teaching encompasses improvisation, vocal studies, and jazz, contributing significantly to the development of music students at Southern Cross University.

Carriage's research and creative outputs are diverse and impactful. Key publications include the journal article 'The Jazz Social: Jazz performance during COVID' co-authored with Toby Wren (2021), the book 'Mandarin Skyline: Complete Piano and Vocal Transcriptions' (2021), the book chapter 'Queen Live 1973-1982: Studio to Stage, Stage to Show' (2024), and 'Australian voice' with Rachael Thoms (2024). She has also authored scholarly works such as 'Repercussions of Uniqueness for the 21st Century Vocalist' and 'Musical environments of equity: Through the lenses of diversity, mentoring and collaboration.' Additionally, Carriage has contributed insightful magazine articles to The Conversation on legendary artists including Tina Turner (2023), Janis Joplin (2020), John Lennon's 'Imagine' (2021), Quincy Jones (2024), Connie Francis (2025), and Roberta Flack (2025), demonstrating her deep knowledge of vocal artistry and music history. Her creative productions feature albums like 'Liquid' and 'On Impulse' (both circa 2005), alongside numerous musical performances such as 'Leigh Carriage Quintet' and 'An Evening of Vocal Jazz Artistry.' Carriage's influence extends to public engagement through festival performances and collaborative projects, including a flood tribute film with alumnus Dr. Yantra de Vilder (2022). Her excellence in teaching and humanitarian efforts earned her the Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (2009) and the Humanitarian Award at the Australian Women in Music Awards (2022).