Dr Jenevora Williams

Rest, Reflect, Refresh and Re-boot - https://mailchi.mp/jenevorawilliams/the-guarded-larynx-6752680

Motor learning is one of the biggest topics in voice training right now, but how much of what we hear about it is actually backed by evidence?

I’m really looking forward to being in conversation with John Nix for the next Talk Voice session on Tuesday 28th July, as we explore How Brains Learn: Myth Busting Motor Learning.

John will be answering your questions about motor learning, exploring how humans learn, acquire skills and develop performance, while separating the evidence from some of the common myths around motor learning.

Whether you work with voices, teach singing, or are simply curious about how learning happens, this will be a valuable conversation to be part of.

The session takes place online, on Tuesday 28th July at 7pm (BST) and tickets can be booked through the British Voice Association's website.

I was delighted to be in St Andrews over the weekend as a guest presenter for the Vocal Pedagogy Intensive Course, joining Lynn Helding and Amelia Rollings-Bigler for an immersive programme exploring voice science and pedagogy with 21 voice practitioners from around the world.

It was a pleasure to present my research on The Guarded Larynx, and to have the opportunity to discuss these ideas with such an engaged and thoughtful group. These conversations are an important part of developing our understanding of the voice, bringing together research, practical experience and different perspectives from across the field.

Earlier this week, I had a group from Holy Trinity Church in Guildford come to my house for a training session.

This is the second one we have all done together, we decided to sit round the table in my back garden, eating supper together while I went through a long list of questions they had brought.
The answer to all of them was - well, it depends, and what do you think?

So we drilled down a bit deeper, looking at the why and the how behind the initial presentations.

L-R: Nick Graham Music, Ruth Munro, Hattie Twigger-Ross, Rosanna Harris, and me!

I was delighted to see the idea of the “guarded larynx” continuing to travel beyond its original context.

Aude Julien-Laferrière attended my presentation at PEVOC in Istanbul in March, and I was really pleased to later see her developing and using the concept in her own conference presentation in France at Université Sorbonne Nouvelle.

It’s always lovely to see ideas take on a life of their own, and this one grew out of work I shared with Stephen King (Voice Care Centre) in our paper published in the Journal of Voice.

What exactly is your role in voice rehabilitation?

Join us for a thought-provoking weekend exploring Scope of Practice, professional boundaries, collaboration and the biopsychosocial approach to voice.

Led by Psychotherapist Stephen King, Speech Pathologist Maurice Goodwin, Executive Coach Nicki Kennedy and Dr Jenevora Williams, alongside a community of curious voice practitioners.

A space for discussion, reflection and growth alongside fellow voice practitioners.

📚 Becoming Biopsychosocial for Voice Practitioners
📅 11th & 12th July 2026