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About Penny Nichols
(Top Expert on this page)

Expertise
I can answer all kinds of questions regarding singing techniques, practice, performance, vocal recording technique and harmony vocal arranging.

Experience
I have been a professional singer/songwriter and vocal arranger and teacher in the music business since 1965.

Organizations
BMI, Folk Alliance, SummerSongs, Inc. (I am the founding director)

Publications
Singer Magazine

Education/Credentials
I have a doctorate in Music Education from Harvard.

Awards and Honors
Platinum record for my vocals on Jimmy Buffett's Son of a Son of a Sailor, 3 times nominated for a Grammy in the background singing category, MVP in the motivational singing category of the Assoc. of Multi-image Assoc. Annual awards two years in a row.

Past/Present Clients
I have sung with, recorded with or opened shows for Mort Sahl, The Byrds, The Dillards, Dillard and Clark Expedition, John Kay (Steppenwolf), The Association and Big Brother and the Holding Co. (Janis Joplin), Steve Miller, Quicksilver Messenger Service, 13th Floor Elevator, Chocolate Watchband, Jefferson Airplane, Dan Hicks & his Hot Licks, Cream (the Santa Monica Civic auditorium 1968), Little Feat in concert.  I wrote and performed commercials for Toyota's campaign to plant a tree for every car bought, Carnation Dairies, and produced a public service announcement for the Navajo Nation called "Black Mesa" to protest the misuse of the land around the Four Corners power stations in Arizona. In 1977, while working with Emitt Rhodes on a record for Elektra, I joined Jimmy Buffett & the Coral Reefers.  I appeared in the movie FM with the band, toured the U.S. and earned a Platinum Record for my singing on Son of a Son of a Sailor. Also, I've recorded with Art Garfunkle (Fate for Breakfast) Suzi Quatro, Danny O'Keefe, Yvonne Elliman, Jennifer Warnes, Albert Brooks, The Credibility Gap, Steve Gillette and earned a Grammy nomination for my work on Arlo Guthrie's album The Power of Love.  In addition, I have recorded a series of singing lessons which have been sold world-wide by Homespun Tapes since 1985.

   

You are here:  Experts > Music/Performing Arts > Musicians' Exchange > Musical Composition, Theory, Songwriting, and Singing

SubjectDate AskedExpert

Shostakovich symphony 57/13/2009Chuck
  Q: I'm Laurens Price-Nowak, and I play cello in the national childrens' orchestra of GB, in the under ...
  A: It is such a wonderful age of ENLIGHTENMENT we live in now with internet information at our ...
Singing better7/12/2009Penny Nichols
  Q: When I sing, I have this kind of undertone, like when your voice has that rattling sound like a ...
  A: Are you smoking and/or drinking or smoking pot? Any one of those things can hurt your vocal chords. ...
How to figure out Bi-tonality of chords7/11/2009Dr Colin
  Q: (I'll just give you a little on my music background) I completed nearly all my piano grades, kept ...
  A: Nice to hear from you again! I am delighted to read that you bought a jazz theory book and I hope ...
CHORD RULES7/11/2009Dr Colin
  Q: I do play organ and I have composed a lot of hymns with chord but I have not released any of them. ...
  A: Nice to hear from you again! I am glad that your studies are progressing well. Yes, I can tell you ...
Singing better7/11/2009Penny Nichols
  Q: When I sing, I have this kind of undertone, like when your voice has that rattling sound like a ...
  A: You would need to see a vocal coach and possibly an ear, nose & throat doctor to get the whole ...
Songwriting7/11/2009Steven L. Rosenhaus
  Q: I just wrote lyrics to a song that just popped into my head. But they kinda have the same pattern as ...
  A: Writing new lyrics which follow the pattern of an existing set of lyrics is a time-honored ...
Writing down musical compositions7/2/2009Dr Colin
  Q: I have composed many songs for the piano, but they are all in my head and I'm worried I will forget ...
  A: Many thanks for getting in touch. I am sure that some other people have a similar problem. I know ...
power trio6/22/2009Phil Kelly
  Q: I am looking for advice in arranging rock and blues tunes for a power trio - can you assist?
  A: Usually this type of music isnt "arranged" -It just takes form by a group of compatible musicians ...
Composition competitions6/16/2009Phil Kelly
  Q: I am an eighth grade middle school student. I have been composing for about a year and a half. I was ...
  A: Congratulations on your composing career so far! You've set yourself on a path that will provide you ...
Composition competitions6/16/2009Dr Colin
  Q: I am an eighth grade middle school student. I have been composing for about a year and a half. I was ...
  A: First let me apologise for not getting back to you sooner. No excuses! I'm interested to hear about ...
Programme notes for Performer's Cert6/15/2009Clare Redfarn
  Q: I'm a 14-year-old violin student taking my Trinity Performer's Cert (aka Advanced Cert) this month ...
  A: I've found you a bit more information about Fiorillo. He was a son of Ignacio Fiorillo, who ...
determining a major key6/12/2009Bill Pere
  Q: I have music that I am playing with my pebnywhistle. The guitar chords are Am, G, Em, F7 and F. ...
  A: << have music that I am playing with my pebnywhistle. The guitar chords are Am, G, Em, F7 and F. ...
Soprano 1 vs soprano 26/11/2009Penny Nichols
  Q: My daughter, a sophomore in high school was told by her choral teacher that next year she should ...
  A: Your daughter is growing and she can continue to sing in the soprano 1 range just by continuing to ...
Programme notes for Performer's Cert6/10/2009Clare Redfarn
  Q: I'm a 14-year-old violin student taking my Trinity Performer's Cert (aka Advanced Cert) this month ...
  A: Programme notes don't need to be long - I usually think in terms of three paragraphs: composer, ...
Playing guitar by ear6/10/2009Chuck
  Q: i am very interested in playing guitar by ear but i dont know how and where to start off. Can you ...
  A: son: Yes, I purchased all four volumes (in binder format) written by John Mehegan (a jazz ...
how to signify one note is played an octave higher6/1/2009Dr Colin
  Q: I have to do a keyboard reduction. Problem I have is in bass stave I have an E below middle C and a ...
  A: Many thanks for getting in touch. If you are writing a piano reduction of something, the important ...
chord transistion5/30/2009D C DowDell
  Q: Play keyboard at church. Need help today if possible. Song in key of A and will flow right into ...
  A: com. There are several standard methods to transition from one key to another. To move up a ...
chord transistion5/30/2009Phil Kelly
  Q: I play keyboard at church. Need answer today if possible. We are flowing from one song to another ...
  A: First off, sorry to be so long in replying but I was in the hospital for an unplanned visit last ...
transition from key to key5/30/2009Chuck
  Q: I play keyboard in church. Have a song for tomorrow (oops hope I hear from you today) in the key ...
  A: Yes, i have ideas. There are ''charts'' for the church organist, that are like 'math' ...
Improvisation5/27/2009Clare Redfarn
  Q: Hey - for my GCSE music composition "Music for a special event" my teacher wants me to write a ...
  A: Your teacher doesn't specify it has to be a 12-bar blues, but that's a good place to start because ...
How long should an overture be?5/24/2009Steven L. Rosenhaus
  Q: I hope you can help me. I have written a musical (book, lyrics, music, orchestration) and it is ...
  A: Congratulations on getting your show "on the boards"! To answer your questions: The obvious ...
Vocal Jazz5/24/2009Penny Nichols
  Q: I was wondering if there are any books on arranging jazz for a cappella groups. Thanks!
  A: Here are some results from Googling Jazz for acapella groups: Amazon.com: "Acapella & Vocal Jazz ...
Thank You5/22/2009Clare Redfarn
  Q: it is a tough one indeed and I will let you know if I suss out the word. ANSWER: I've been thinking ...
  A: and thank you for ruining my weekend <g>. I phoned my mum (retired professional musician) yesterday ...
harmony5/20/2009Clare Redfarn
  Q: Can you recommend a tutor who teaches harmony in London. Particularly the Harnonization of a melody ...
  A: Well, there's always me <g>... I need to know how much theory/aural you've already studied. Do you ...
Re-asking Question5/20/2009Phil Kelly
  Q: Phil, I have to laugh. The question I asked is below, to which you responded that you don't answer ...
  A: Stuart: I have no term for the phenomenon you describe other than "gestalt" ( i.e: the whole being ...
composition term for layering of parts5/19/2009Steven L. Rosenhaus
  Q: To make up for my lack of specificity: we are doing hand drumming with children in grades K-5. We ...
  A: My apologies. I did not know of your musical education and had to assume (based on, well, all of the ...
composition technique--term?5/19/2009Steven L. Rosenhaus
  Q: I am currently working with a drummer in my classroom and we have a musical term that is eluding us. ...
  A: It's tricky answering your question, as you haven't accurately described what it is you are both ...
Singing help5/19/2009Penny Nichols
  Q: I'm a student in high school and I would like to join chours next year. I have two main problems ...
  A: You need to take singing lessons to deal with the problem of your voice being too airy. Look for a ...
Singing in tune and breathing5/18/2009Penny Nichols
  Q: I have been learning singing and guitar on and off for many years. I am confused about breathing ...
  A: I am a student of Seth's, and although I agree with him about breathing, I also agree with your old ...
range5/17/2009Penny Nichols
  Q: what range is e3 -c#6? i also sing opera if i can sing the phantom of the opera what range would I ...
  A: A first soprano's range is from Bb right below middle C to b3 above. I am sorry I am not a big fan ...
Wagners Siegfried Act III Scene 35/15/2009Dr Colin
  Q: I am trying to analyze the first 23 measures of this piece. What are the chords in the first 11 ...
  A: First, very sorry for the delay in my response. I usually respond within 12 hours. I would love to ...
Singing5/14/2009Penny Nichols
  Q: ) and I hope you can assist me. I took lessons years ago (classical) and am now getting back into ...
  A: I should know that! I studied mostly with Seth's ex-wife Florence Riggs, whom I have great respect ...
Does S mean rest?5/12/2009Dr Colin
  Q: Greetings, In the Turkish language there is a word “es” taken from the name of the letter S. ...
  A: .. Many thanks for contacting me. If I spoke the Turkish language, there is a good chance I could ...
arranging5/12/2009Phil Kelly
  Q: I want to ask what knowledge needs to be applied to get arranger keyboard's style to be considered ...
  A: Kerry: Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with the keyboard you have and I'm not sure just what the ...
arranging5/11/2009Phil Kelly
  Q: I want to ask what knowledge needs to be applied to get arranger keyboard's style to be considered ...
  A: G'day Kerry! I'm not sure what you mean by an "arrangers keyboard style " unless you're thinking in ...
musical composition5/10/2009Clare Redfarn
  Q: I do hope you get well soon! Please tell me what is involved in making a musical composition, a ...
  A: and thanks for your good wishes. I assume we're talking about all compositions, not just songs? ...
Background Music5/7/2009Steven L. Rosenhaus
  Q: My name is Nathan and I'm a compose using Finale. I can't play any instruments so I just used ...
  A: You offer a lot of questions--good ones. I'll do what I can to answer them. 1. I get that you don't ...
Background Music5/7/2009Steven L. Rosenhaus
  Q: My name is Nathan and I'm a compose using Finale. I can't play any instruments so I just used ...
  A: It's not unusual for someone to write songs without knowing music theory; the Beatles are just one ...
songwriting5/3/2009Steven L. Rosenhaus
  Q: There's a clarinet player named Aker Bilk who wrote a song called Stranger on the Shore. It's ...
  A: Using copyright-free loops as a starting point for a composition is certainly one way to start ...
composition5/3/2009Doglas Yeo
  Q: What works better in composition?Preparing the lyrics first and working out the melody? or vice ...
  A: I am not very expert at songwriting, but I feel that both ways work well. If you already have a set ...

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Questions by
Active Experts:
Doglas YeoThe ProfessorBill Pere
Clare RedfarnE BurksDaniel Johnson
D C DowDellDr ColinChuck
Penny NicholsPhil KellySteven L. Rosenhaus
   

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