Courses, Workshops and Voicecare for Groups
Choral or group workshops focused on safeguarding the voice, step by step, during busy or high intensity vocal periods.
Courses, Workshops and Voicecare for Groups
Choral or group workshops focused on safeguarding the voice, step by step, during busy or high intensity vocal periods.
Successful warm-ups
Body and breath
Vocal health and technique
Energised performances
Workshops and Presentations for Adult, School and Youth Choirs
Workshops and Presentations for Adult, School and Youth Choirs
Body and breath work
Exploring how to get the very best sound out of the choir by giving breathing and alignment tips and strategies and explaining WHY they work.
Working across genres
Showing the choir the techniques they need to sound authentic as they move between genres and styles.
Warming Up and Cooling Down
Selecting great vocal exercises to prepare for different tasks and explaining how and why they work.
Channelling nerves
Presentations on nerves, and how to channel them into a positive force so that your choir and soloists can give their best at all times, no matter what the occasion
Working with Choirs
I have worked for as long as I can remember with choirs from the very top professional choirs and groups right through to less experienced local singing groups. I continue to work closely with the National Youth Choir and with the Rodolfus Foundation, co-direct the recently formed Jersey Youth Choir and run my own choral retreat in the summer, exploring how to work healthily in the choir with young professional and student choral and solo singers.
Although I have had a primarily solo career, I have sung myself with choirs such as Les Musicians du Louvre and Tenebrae and sang with London Voices and Metro Voices recording as a sessions singer, appearing on the soundtracks of numerous films such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter, Shrek, Kung Fu Panda and The Hobbit.
I know what great choral singing can look like, but I know that it can bring great pressure and expectation, as well as vocal challenges. I believe that the best and happiest choral sounds come with positivity and encouragement, and I work with choirs using technical know-how and psychological affirmation to promote a sense of joy and freedom in the body and the mind that makes singing fun, easy and brings out the very best of the choir.
Voicecare Workshops
Bringing out the best in the choir, whether professional or amateur, comes down to excellent technical awareness and a positive mindset. Every individual needs to feel empowered to contribute to the team.
Voicecare Workshops
Bringing out the best in the choir, whether professional or amateur, comes down to excellent technical awareness and a positive mindset. Every individual needs to feel empowered to contribute to the team.
Vocal Health Workshops in Schools
I offer workshops in schools covering vocal health and performance confidence.
1: Unpack the Warm-up: A fun, interactive group warm-up that analyses the purpose of each exercise, including how to keep yourself healthy at the busy times on the school tour, during a show or at peak singing times such as Christmas.
2: Beating the Nerves and nailing your performance: Strong evidence-based strategies for dealing with everything from mild nerves to real performance anxiety. I explain what nerves are, and how to deal with them, giving in-depth information about adrenaline responses, and running an interactive discussion. I can offer 1:1 sessions after the workshop for those who need a bit of privacy.
Inset for Teachers
Teaching with Impact: Advice for teachers in a short 1-2 hour presentation about safe voice use, how to project without strain and what to look out for if your voice is getting tired. Essential for teachers!
Workshops with Choirs and Choral Directors
I offer four different workshops with amateur and professional choirs.
1: Changing it Up: Healthy Cross-Genre Singing Looking at how to approach singing in different styles healthily.
2: Unpacking the Warm-Up and Cool-Down: This workshop analyses which exercises help with which vocal challenges, and I lead discussions around maintaining a healthy approach in the highly competitive vocal workplace.
3: Vocal Identity for the Choral Singer: I lead an exploration of how to sing in choirs whilst maintaining the integrity and overall health of your solo instrument.
4: Singing with Confidence: In this workshop (often booked as an add-on to one of the other workshops) I deliver a presentation and discussion around nerves, whether that be channelling your excitement positively, or dealing with more extreme performance anxiety. I offer one-to-one’s at the end of this workshop for those who need more personal help.
“Nicki’s sessions leave singers of all ages feeling enriched and motivated.”
“Having seen Nicki working with a range of choirs, from small consorts to large choral societies, I have always been struck by her extraordinary ability to share expert technical advice in a fun and engaging way. Whether live or online, her sessions leave singers of all ages feeling enriched and motivated.”
Tim Johnson – Precentor & Director of Music, Eton College
“Nicki is highly likeable and an outstandingly good communicator.”
“It goes without saying that Nicki has a comprehensive and impressive knowledge of the voice, but add to that a really good understanding of language. She is a highly likeable person and this communicates itself immediately to audiences and choirs.”
Ralph Allwood – Artistic Director Rodolfus Foundation