"One of the things all music teachers hope for is that their students will find their dreams. We want to pass on what we’ve learned to help them pave their way. Nikki Blonsky, star of the feature film Hairspray, has fulfilled that dream for me.
"I am a singer and voice teacher from Sea Cliff. I owe everything to the public school music program. I came from private elementary school, where there was no music program. When I joined the Hicksville High School Chorus, I knew I had found a home. I was lucky enough to sing with Billy Joel, who sang bass and entertained us with his bands. He was also a great educator. He’d take us to the piano, assign notes and movie us up and down naming the chords – my first theory lesson.
"I earned a degree from Fredonia and pursued a career in music, touring with the Philip Glass Ensemble, Ensemble for Early Music, Midsummer Night’s Swing Big Band at Lincoln Center and as a chorister with the New York Philharmonic. I am now a teaching artist for the Tilles Center for the Arts School Partnership.
"Nikki Blonsky had a marvelous voice when she came to me at age 12. She always had the instrument of someone much older. We worked hard on both her pop and classical voice to maintain a healthy balance and never do any damage. A sound vocal technique is more important than ever with the difficult style young singers sometimes have to perform. Pop, Rock and Broadway demand a lot of “belting” which really has to be used judiciously.
"Nikki sang “Hero” for many firefighters after September 11. Her family always took her wherever she was needed to give comfort with her song. Dr. Levy from Great Neck South encouraged her to sing the roles of Mrs. Lovett in “Sweeney Todd” and “Carmen” in their High School productions.
"Nikki is a natural actress. When I saw her up on the screen in “Hairspray”, it was a surreal experience. I was so thrilled that someone who is so talented and hard working finally got what she deserved in such a tough field. She’s now filming her third movie.
"I was inspired by another local student from the Public School Music Program who passed it onto me. Now Nikki is an inspiration to every young singer. Follow your dream, work hard, and SING!"
Want to tell blog readers about your famous student(s)? We want to hear about scientists, mathematicians, humanitarians, authors, athletes, businesspeople, etc. as well as musicians! Send info to ElizabethL@menc.org.
