Nikki Armstrong - The Art of Voice

"When we were playing I looked over at you while your were singing and an amazing sound came out of your little body that blew me away!! Your mouth was open but the high pitched, kind of Minnie Ripperton but thicker sound, I SWEAR, was coming out from everywhere but your mouth?? It was so weird, it looked to me like you were mouthing it! Your vocal technique is super human!"

Bob Suede Singer/Songwriter/Producer

STEP 1: THE TECHNIQUE

Most vocal technique is based on the Classical approach (opera). Now, there is nothing wrong with Classical, but ALL forms of contemporary music, particularly singing, originated from Gospel. From Gospel evolved the Blues, Jazz, Rhythm & Blues, and Rock & Roll!

Think about it.

Can you hear any resemblance between Pavarotti and Sting? Of course not! So why try to apply Classical exercises which only develop one part of the voice to singing Pop, Rock, Country, R&B, Jazz, or Blues? You can’t!

Based on an understanding of Gospel and Blues, The Art of Voice technique utilizes exercises designed to develop eight different parts of the singer’s instrument, the voice! The technique empowers the singer to produce the ideal sounds in any style with ease and certainty. Through lessons and practice the student achieves full control of the following:

	Breathing
	Pitch
	Range
	Dynamics
	Rhythm
	Embellishments
	Phrasing
	Improvisation
	Repertoire

Whether you are a beginning student or advanced, singers at all levels benefit from this technique. Most advance very quickly and children do especially well as the exercises are simple and the practice time required is minimal.

STEP 2: ARTISTIC PRESENTATION

Any quality of art form is 50% technique and 50% presentation. With an instrument, such as the voice, it’s one thing to ‘sound’ good and be impressive. It’s another thing to actually mean what you are singing about and to move and inspire an audience.

With the emphasis on communication skills, The Art of Voice Performance Workshops trains the student in the relationship between the music of the song and the lyrics. Through various drills and theory the student/singer achieves the ability to deliver their message effectively and be totally understood by the audience. The result is pure magic! The impact of this is so great that the student/singer must get used to receiving standing ovations on a regular basis!

Some of the many skills achieved by the Workshops are:

	Overcoming stage fright.
	Stage Presence.
	Stage Manners.
	Ownership of the Songs.
	Artistic freedom to sing songs newly and differently each time.
	Total control over voice, the stage and the impact on the audience.

These skills can also be achieved working on a private basis (teacher and student). However, it is most effective done in a group setting over a short period of time. Showcases in a public venue are performed at the end of the Workshop.

Nikki Armstrong has been teaching voice since 1995 and has also taught acting and dancing. She has performed since the age of 11 and currently sings and records with her bands ‘Nikki Armstrong & Whole Lotta Blues’ (Blues/R&B) and the ‘Nikki Armstrong Project’ (Jazz) as well as guest vocalist with many area bands.

She is the Musician’s Liaison for the New York Blues & Jazz Society and a well-respected opinion leader for singers and musicians in the Tri-State area. Her students have performed all over the world from the Apollo Theater to the U.S.S.R.

Here is some of many student success stories:

"From my inner most being, Nikki helped yield the performer the have been striving to be. With vocal techniques, performance exercises, and creative guidance she turned my gifts and skills into one complete instrument of art that I am now very proud of.

Every lesson with Nikki was not only jam packed with concepts, drills, and ideas; they were also all exciting and fun. One amazing thing about working with her was the immediate comfort level that was established from day one. Singing to me is like exposing your soul through your voice and sometimes it is hard to trust and be comfortable with the people you are working with but it was very easy with Nikki.

Within a few months of working together, Nikki helped me hone in on so many sounds, styles, notes, and energy in my voice that I never knew I was capable of creating. This along with her direction and guidance of my performing abilities, I have never felt better performing on stage. She showed me the freedom and control I can have on any stage and/or with any song that I perform.

As I record my new record, I hear sounds and tones that I never before heard myself produce. It is so encouraging to hear how many more timbres I have in my voice and how many more notes are in my range and how much longer I can continuously sing since the last time I recorded (which was prior to working with Nikki).

Nikki has made me a better singer, a better performer, and a better artist at my craft."

Chris Sulit/ Singer/Songwriter

“When I first came to Nikki and The Art of Voice Program, I knew I was going to have a great experience based on the reviews I got from those who knew about her. But I never dreamed of making the gains I did in such a short time! I have been singing since the age of 7 and I am now 22. I had mostly Classical and musical theater training, which did not quench my thirst to learn other genres (styles) such as Jazz, Blues and Pop. In the first couple of weeks of studying with her I was able to produce the coveted sounds of famous singers! I had been struggling to find those voices within me for years and pretty much decided that I would have to ‘settle’. Once with Nikki, I knew that I could fulfill my dreams of being able to sing in any genre.”

“The incredible thing is that every lesson (and I mean EVERY lesson) I had a vocal/musical breakthrough! Nikki gave me not only the fundamentals of technique, but also those of creating, which is what musicians do. In other words, she really taught me to sing these songs as if being sung for the first time. I wasn’t just copying Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James, or Billie Holiday; it was me who was singing!”

“On finding my own voice…the number of different timbres (distinctive qualities of sound) that I can create has tripled, at least! This is so great! I can now create so many different feels in my music because of what I’ve learned from Nikki.”

“One last thing. I have always wanted to be able to sing like a ‘soul sister’ and freestyle - now I can! I can’t thank Nikki enough for the power she has given me. When I make it as a big time singer I have her to thank! Thank you Nikki!” - DeAnna Choi