Award-winning musician Caroline Redman Lusher receives honorary doctorate from University of Salford

Caroline is the Creator and Creative Director of Rock Choir. Through her musicianship, creativity and inspirational leadership Caroline has developed Rock Choir into the world’s largest contemporary choir featuring in excess of 33,000 members. Caroline inspires thousands of members who take part in Rock Choir each week through her unique vocal arrangements of carefully chosen feel-good pop songs. As Rock Choir continues to grow, Caroline protects its original ethos of inclusivity, accessibility and fun. It acts as a unique platform for friendship, communication and well-being.

Caroline is also a professional recording artist with her voice featuring on albums that have sold over a million copies in the UK, gaining four gold and platinum-certified sales awards from the British Phonographic Industry. 

She is the winner of numerous notable awards across the music industry including the prestigious Gold Badge Award for her 'Exceptional contribution to British music' by the Performing Rights Society and the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors. She was also given an Honorary Doctor of Letters by the London College of Music. Caroline opened both the 2018 and 2019 BBC Proms in the Park performances in Hyde Park, London as lead vocalist accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra and joined by the 80-strong Rock Choir Vocal Group. Both events, hosted by Michael Ball, held an audience of 40,000 and was broadcast live by BBC’s Red Button and Radio 2.

A graduate of Salford's prestigious BA Popular Music and Recording programme, Caroline was named a Doctor of Arts at the University's graduation ceremony at The Lowry.

Caroline said: "It's a huge honour to be recognised by the University of Salford and I know that the graduation ceremony will be highly emotional for me especially as I will be sharing it with this year's cohort of graduating students. 

"I graduated 29 years ago and to be able to congratulate them in person will be a tremendous highlight for me. It allows me to reflect on the years that have passed since I was one of them, when I too, stepped up to receive my BA Hons degree in Popular Music and Recording."

Over the last twelve months, Caroline has given a great deal of her time to the University, delivering a masterclass session with our Music students, hosting a Rock Choir concert in Maxwell Hall and was recently a guest on the University's podcast series Talking Salford in which she discussed her journey as a singer and the formation of Rock Choir. 

Caroline added: "I am extremely lucky to have enjoyed a career in the arts; to be creative every day, work with music and use it to make an impact on the lives and wellbeing of the British public. 

"It has been a busy, successful and often dramatic life so far but my commitment to and passion for the creative arts has remained strong throughout. I hope I can share some impactful words of advice with those students who are now moving forward after their valuable time at university. Like I did, they now have the opportunity to make a creative impact on the world and change the lives of others for the better."

Caroline signed a publishing deal in 2023 and her long-awaited autobiography 'SING – The Story of Rock Choir’ will be released on 1 October 2024.