Dr Williams studied music at Nottingham University, followed by a PGCE at Birmingham University, and later a MA then Doctorate at the Institute of Education at UCL. She is also a Finzi scholar.
After graduating, Dr Williams’ first teaching role was at the prestigious Queenswood School in Hertfordshire, where her passion for music and performance created immediate impact.
Dr Williams was soon offered the Head of Music role at a large comprehensive school in Luton. It was here that she first endorsed music as a core subject for children and young people, particularly for those who had no previous experience of live performance.
Dr Williams staged the first-ever amateur performance of “Jesus Christ Superstar”, and later set up and ran a Saturday morning music school for local youngsters.
As an advisor in Bedfordshire in the 1980s, Dr Williams championed the introduction of computers and music in schools. She was a major influence in establishing music therapy services within education across Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire, and worked for many years to connect schools with music therapy professional practice.
Dr Williams co-founded and conducted the Bedfordshire Junior County Youth Orchestras, and as Vice Chair of the National Association of Youth Orchestras, she helped set up the largest season of concerts on the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
She co-founded the European Association of Youth Orchestras and advised on the education elements of many arts projects including the BBC Proms. Dr Williams also worked on some ground-breaking projects with the Royal Opera House and Glyndebourne Opera House.
Dr Williams said: “It’s an amazing honour. I’ve known ARU for many, many years and to be awarded this alongside a lot of people I really admire and have huge respect for has been a really great thing for me.”
Professor Roderick Watkins, Vice Chancellor of ARU, said: “Dr Williams has a unique understanding of the therapeutic power of music, of its ability to enhance quality of life. And she has enjoyed an extraordinarily active career, bringing her unique energy, enthusiasm and expertise to a wide range of projects and communities.
“Our university has enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with Dr Williams. Her expertise and wide-ranging connections have enhanced the impact and reputation of Anglia Ruskin. She has been an influential advisor to our Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research, and has selflessly given many hours of her time to support fundraising campaigns and to mentor Anglia Ruskin staff.”