Identifying as a 'Scousewegian' (Norwegian with a home in Liverpool), Kaya Herstad-Carney is an experienced higher education leader, vocal pedagogue, and award-winning creative artist. As Head of Education (Online) at WaterBear College of Music she oversees and delivers two MA and two BA (Hons) degree programmes in songwriting, performance, and music education. Her academic practice focuses on student-centred learning, artist development, and the application of vocal habilitation within the field of Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM), spanning rock, pop, soul, dance, folk and musical theatre.
Kaya holds an MA in Performing Arts (Education) from LIPA/Hope University and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She has taught at institutions including the Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM), University of Chester, Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA), University of Liverpool, and Bårdar Academy (Norway), where she developed new programmes and contributed to validation and revalidation processes across multiple HE contexts. She also serves on the Advisory Board of Vocology in Practice (ViP) and is a licensed BAST singing teacher trainer, supporting global professional development for voice teachers and is a vocal health habilitation practitioner and vocal first aider with Vocal Health Education.
As a researcher-practitioner, Kaya’s interests include performance anxiety, singing for health and wellbeing, voice science, artist identity, and sustainable careers in the creative industries. She has presented at national and international conferences (BVA, AOTOS, TAPRA, SoundCity, Vocology in Practice, CanvasCon) on topics such as vocal pedagogy, language in feedback, acoustics, improvisation, and the application of sport psychology in music performance.
Alongside her academic career, Kaya is an award-winning singer-songwriter and festival director, with music featured on stage, television, and film, most notably with vaudeville-grunge pop act Science of the Lamps. She won a Silver Award for Best Original Soundtrack at the International Independent Film Awards in Los Angeles and has performed internationally, including festival appearances and support slots with artists such as John Grant, Brett Anderson (Suede), Susanne Sundfør and Dub Pistols, and performed with Ringo Starr and Bon Jovi as part of Sense of Sound choir.