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I am a Mezzo-Soprano and musical theatre artist with over 20 years of experience studying music, and am currently pursuing my PhD in Community Music at Wilfrid Laurier University. Prior degrees include a Master of Teaching in Intermediate-Senior Music and Mathematics, a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology, and a Bachelor of Music with High Distinction specializing in Voice and Music Education. I have been privileged to study voice with a wide range of operatic and musical theatre teacher-artists including Kimberly Barber, Leslie Fagan, Amanda Brunk, Victor Martens, Doreen Taylor-Claxton, and Elizabeth Benson.
Outside of singing, I am the founder and clinical director of Counterspiral Care, a psychotherapy clinic and consulting practice dedicated to supporting queer, neurodivergent, and BIPOC individuals through actively affirming care. I am also a proud LivingWorks ASIST suicide first aid trainer, where I support individuals and teams in creating suicide safer communities and building life-saving skills.
I am an avid researcher in the fields of community music, trauma-informed voice pedagogy and DEI in schools. My doctoral work is an autoethnographic case study of my experiences in a community-music based undergraduate voice studio to investigate the impacts of such pedagogies on holistic health, well-being, vocal technique and trauma recovery.
Outside of my PhD, I am currently collaborating with Interim Dean Kimberly Barber on a series of articles about incorporation of community music principles in the university voice studio. I am also contributing to several articles for the Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education.
Select Scholarships Awarded
- OGS Graduate Scholarship: Doctoral
- Dorothy V. and Abram Wiebe Scholarship
- SSHRC CGS-M Scholarship
- Robert Palmai Vocal Award
Select Certifications Achieved
- CRPO Registered Psychotherapist Certification
- Foundations in Teaching and Learning Certificate
- ASIST Suicide First Aid Trainer Certification
- OCT Certification: Intermediate-Senior Music and Mathematics
- Stapleton, S., & Barber, K. (2026). The Power of Partners. The Voice Foundation Symposium. Poster Presentation.
- Stapleton, S., & Barber, K. (2026). Re-envisioning the Voice Studio as a Site of Pedagogical Community and Care. The Voice Foundation Symposium. Oral Presentation.
- Stapleton, S. & Grant, R. (2025). Affirmation, allyship and action for 2SLGBTQIA+ students. In A. B. Campbell (Ed.), Active brave conversations (pp. 54–66). Pembroke Publishers.
- Stapleton, S., Cavanaugh, L., & Crimson Rose Da Costa, J. (2025). Wayward joy in queer femme-inist educational research. Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.60808/hn39-7s10
- Stapleton, S. (2024). Healthy singing practices: An analysis of Body Mapping Education on undergraduate vocalists. Journal of Singing 80(4), 387–395. https://dx.doi.org/10.53830/sing.00021
- Stapleton, S., & Barber, K. (2023). Re-envisioning the conservatory style music studio: Towards a pedagogy of hope, care, and community. The Canadian Music Educator, 65(2), 20–27.
- Stapleton, S. (2023). Showcasing queer joy. In A. B. Campbell & L. Swartz (Eds.), Stop the hate for goodness sake (pp. 43). Pembroke Publishers.
- Stapleton, S. (2022). Best virtual practices: Virtual voice pedagogy through COVID-19 and beyond. The Canadian Music Educator, 64(2), 15–25.
- The Last Five Years (Cathy): Ontario tour
- The Rocky Horror Show (Janet Weiss): Ontario tour
- The Sound of Music (Maris u/s): The National Theatre, Australia
- Annual Holiday Cabaret (Musical Director): Scarborough Village Theatre
- The Llandovery Castle (Alexina): Opera Laurier
- Heartstrings (2022)
My teaching involves a focus on the whole person: body, mind, spirit, and soul. As an educator, psychotherapist, community musician, and musical theatre artist, I believe in student-centered teaching that is creative, reflexive, responsive, and non-hierarchical. I aim to foster a space that prepares students for success in all aspects of their lives by encouraging autonomy, personal empowerment, and co-constructive learning. I am a trauma-informed educator and believe that deep and community-oriented learning can inspire healing. In my classroom, your authentic self will be welcomed and celebrated.