Our three hosts, Stephen King, Robert Sussuma and Dr Jenevora Williams explore the what they might have said to their younger selves. 

This is an intimate conversation that pulls apart the past, present and future, as well as exploring what it means to “do the hard yards” in your career.

Acupuncture has been used and documented to help voice and throat problems since the Book of the Yellow Emperor in 180BCE. In this ancient tome, there is mention of “Plum Stone Throat” or as we would say, Globus Pharyngeous. 

Caroline Van Looy, a Masters level Speech Therapist from Belgium joins Stephen King as they discuss the inclusion of Acupuncture in their voice therapy work. 

Join the up coming Acupuncture for Voice training in July 2024 here: https://www.vocalhealth.co.uk/medical-acupuncture-voice-swallowing/

In this weeks, episode of the Thinking Voice podcast, Robert, Jenevora and Stephen discuss the complexities of gatekeeping and the lengths we go to to keep our education, titles and information truly representable. 

This episode also discusses the intricacy of ‘the journey’, be it to our studio, to work, to learn or heal.

Dr Jenevora Williams is in conversation with Maurice Goodwin SLP. There is much talk about ‘staying in your lane’ as a clinician or practitioner. What does this mean? Who makes the decisions? What happens if you wander over the line? If we are comparing the regulations in the US with those in the UK, is there really much of a difference, and what are the real practical necessities for us to remain ethically within our scope of practice?

In this episode, Stephen interviews Chris Johnson. Chris Johnson's performance career began in a casual choir, but then the joy (and, sometimes the fear) of stepping out in-front of hundreds of people got addictive. So addictive that it made him develop his own performance which led Chris into the professional world of singing for twelve years; years through which he learned a lot about himself as a performer.
Vocal coaching was inevitably born from that, embarking on a mission to help others avoid having to get a ‘real’ job. Through his coaching work, he's pleased to say that major label artists, West End leads, backing vocalists, singer/songwriters and vocal coach all put their trust in him to take good care of their instruments.
Chris also thoroughly enjoys the work he does with his teacher training company, TeachVoice.com, helping singing teachers all over the world to up-skill and navigate the overwhelming amount of pedagogical options. 
In complement to coaching, Chris has trained in laryngeal manual therapies, somatic work, and studied extensively with researchers in vocal acoustics. Through his popular podcast and blog, The Naked Vocalist, he has also had the opportunity to connect and share with many progressive voice researchers and pedagogues.

Join our hosts for the “Love Conversation”, where they explore how we might begin to love our voices, and the processes involved in becoming a vocalist. As ever, Dr Jenevora Williams, Robert Sussuma and Stephen King move around the realms of philosophy, music, pedagogy and psychology in order to better flesh out the theories presented in the present.

Join our hosts Dr Jenevora Williams, Stephen King and Robert Sussuma on an exploration of Reflux. In this episode you’ll hear about the details of Stephen’s latest research paper, the somatic world of Robert and Jenevora’s clinical observations. Of course, the biopsychosocial model makes a timely appearance, as well as an unexpected intruder into Jenevora’s studio (listen to the blooper at the end!)

The “Tremor Conversation” sees our hosts take you on a whirlwind adventure through coffee snobbery, inevitability, vibrato, orgasms (yes you read that right!) and more! As ever, Dr Jenevora Williams, Robert Sussuma and Stephen King bring an illuminated perspective on what it is to teach, and work with voices.

A fascinating and heart-warming insight into working inclusively in the teaching studio. Join Jenevora and Miriam Allan as they discuss neurodiversities, teaching and learning. Miriam describes ways of working with the student to create a safe place; using play, innovation, imagination and creativity.

Jenevora and Nic talk about the spoken voice, how we can be authentic in our intention - with voiceovers, broadcasts and podcasts. The conversation moved through identity (who we would like to be), judgement (what others may think of us) and primarily about liberation (a big philosophical one that had us both thinking). Nic’s book ‘On the Mic’ is out now.

In this episode of The Thinking Voice Podcast, hosts Robert Sussuma, Stephen King, and Dr. Jenevora Williams dive into the world of voice pedagogy and explore the concept of running courses in groups. The trio starts by discussing Berne’s Group Theory, which is a theoretical framework for understanding human relationships and communication patterns in groups. They delve into the benefits of group learning, including the creation of a supportive community and the opportunity to learn from others.
Robert, Stephen, and Jenevora also discuss the unique challenges of teaching voice in a group setting, including the need to tailor the course to the diverse needs and abilities of each student. They also touch on the importance of creating a safe and inclusive learning environment, where students feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas.
Throughout the episode, the trio shares their experiences and insights into the world of voice pedagogy, offering practical tips and advice for anyone considering running a voice course in a group setting. Whether you’re a seasoned voice teacher or just starting out, this episode of The Thinking Voice Podcast is sure to provide valuable insights and inspiration.

In this episode, we dive into the world of vocal pedagogy and explore the latest advancements and our thoughts around timeless techniques. In this episode, our three experts in the field – Robert Sussuma, Dr. Jenevora Williams, and Stephen King  engage in a lively discussion on the topic of ‘The Current Advances vs. Age Old Shiz.’ Are we trapped in trying to reinvent the wheel in vocal training, or are there still new and innovative things to be discovered? Join us as we explore this thought-provoking topic and gain insights from the fields of neuroscience, therapy, pedagogy and somatic learning

3 Years or 3 sessions? This topic sees our hosts explore what value we might give from short to long term work with a client. Stephen takes us through the Person Centred core conditions and a theory he has been thinking about in regards to voice issues. Jenevora argues in favour of the boundaries with an agreed time limit, Robert is in for the long haul with wanting to start a slow learning movement.

A very cold Stephen King (wearing 4 layers and a blanket) and Walt Fritz, PT sat down to talk about their upcoming Masterclass in London, and what it means to be an evidence based, shared decision maker in manual therapy on the coldest day of the year.

Walt’s two day class can be found here:
https://www.vocalhealth.co.uk/foundations-in-manual-therapy/

McParlin, Z., Cerritelli, F., Friston, K. J., & Esteves, J. E. (2022). Therapeutic Alliance as Active Inference: The Role of Therapeutic Touch and Synchrony. Frontiers in psychology, 13, 783694. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.783694

This interview between Stephen and Lydia explores healthcare systems, supervision and seeing the person, not the bed number in our shared therapeutic practise. 

Lydia Hart is a specialist Speech and Language Therapist, working in the field of Voice and Upper Airway. She works with people experiencing difficulties with their speaking or singing voice, or other throat symptoms. Lydia is known for being vibrant, caring and sensitive, taking time to hold a holistic space for clients to explore and improve their symptoms. Lydia is also a singer, and voice therapist – which ultimately means working with a person, not a diagnosis – is a true vocation for her.

Alongside her work at Voice Care Centre, Lydia works for the NHS including the Joint Voice Clinic at Wexham Park Hospital, with leading laryngologist Declan Costello. This involves assessment and management of a range of voice disorders, from muscle tension dysphonia to vocal cord paralysis, and her clinical expertise is constantly expanding.

Lydia is dedicated to developing her knowledge and experience in fields outside of Speech and Language Therapy, in order to provide truly holistic, biopsychosocial care. She is currently undertaking a Diploma in Hypnotherapy with Chrysalis Courses, and has trained in manual therapy with Stephen King and most recently Walt Fritz. She is experienced in breath work, including training in Buteyko Breathing Method, and is also undertaking training in Reiki.

Lydia incorporates holistic health and wellness into her own life, through natural movement including rock climbing and running, minimal footwear, meditation, breath work and cold water exposure.

We’re back!
Robert, Stephen and Jenevora got a little sidetracked in the opening episode to season 3… so much so that they forgot to do the thing that they were there to do! Still, a rather entertaining episode around relationships emerged from our three vocal philosophers addressing all sorts of facets to 1-2-1 sessions, group work and rehearsals/performance.

George Webster is a 21-year-old TV presenter, actor and dancer from Leeds. In September 2021 it was announced that he would become the first CBeebies presenter with Down’s Syndrome.  Our very own Martha celebrates World Down's Syndrome day with George, discussing how he is helping to give a voice to people with Down's Syndrome.

How possible is it to actually change?