Nomy Lamm @ Queer Open Mic
Date/Time: Fri., February 8, 8:00pm
Price: $1-$5

Three Dollar Bill Cafe
1800 Market (at McCoppin)
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-503-1532


On the Lamm
By Hiya Swanhuyser

You ever feel like you should shut up? Maybe you feel like someone — your dad, probably — thinks you should shut up, because you're too (fill in the blank). Most folks do at one time or another, and that's exactly why we need Nomy Lamm. This writer, singer, musician, playwright, and opinionated lecturer is fat, Jewish, gay, and has one foot. Imagine how many assholes have tried to get her to shut up! And then be wildly inspired by Lamm's complete lack of self-loathing, and by her many sassy backtalk strategies. "I've got the nerve to be myself," she sings in her band Tricrotic, and it's no hollow boast. She's been a Punk Planet columnist, a performer with Sister Spit, a co-writer of rock opera The Transfused, and Ms. Magazine's Woman of the Year. She recently relocated to San Francisco, and the Queer Open Mic is making her welcome as its featured performer. Expect a loud, stylish, shameless, funny lecture on how wrong your dad is.

I recently moved to San Francisco and am excited to offer my services. I've been teaching for about eight years, and am comfortable teaching all levels and styles, from "tone deaf" and totally afraid of singing, to confident performers who want to branch out and deepen their work. I believe that everybody has the capacity to sing, but most of us don't know how to access our authentic voice.

I work with students to learn how to:
-breathe
-listen to their own voice
-engage the diaphragm
-find the power in their voice
-experiment with volume, vowel sound and range
-negotiate the transition between chest and head voice
-stay in their body
-feel confident performing in front of people

I use a variety of exercises, ranging from scales to free-form improv, focusing on areas that best suit the student. I also ask students to select a song they would like to work on, and help them to break it down into components and make it theirs.

My singing background is in musical theater, punk rock, hebrew prayers, pop, improv, soul, and more... I enjoy stretching myself to learn new techniques.

I charge $50 for an hour-long lesson, and am open to partial or full trade, depending on what you have to offer. If you are interested please contact me and we will work it out.

Contact me at nomylamm@hotmail.com

Here are some testimonials from former students:

“I appreciated the specific structure, which fulfilled my need to learn vocal strengthening exercises, and receive feedback on use of voice in a song and on personal work. Nomy received my singing with open, warm eyes and clear feedback that included what she saw I could work on and what really ‘sang’ on its own.
I encountered times when I was quite vulnerable, tapping into parts of my voice (ways of singing) that I was not used to using. Nomy left me with many vocal tools that I will be able to utilize long after (boo hoo) she has moved to San Francisco.”


“My only regret is that I didn’t start sooner! Thank you for being so real and supportive and fun! I love the vocal warm-ups. I love knowing how to care for my voice. I do them at home and make my roommates laugh.
I really appreciate how you create a space where I felt super safe to be myself and to explore – oh this singing stuff is really emotional! I can’t believe you got me to sing in front of lots of people – even strangers! And I even had fun! Lots! And I only did because you were so supportive and make singing so fun. Now I wonder what else I can do in life that I never thought I could before.
I was always afraid of my voice before – that it wouldn’t sound ‘right’ or whatever, and now I know:
- I can get my voice to sound a lot of different ways
- That it’s not so much the sound of my voice but more where it’s coming from that makes it feel ‘right’
- How to project my voice to ward of scary dogs and creepy dudes!
- That singing is a gift and a beautiful creative way to express so many feelings, thoughts, our souls.
This was the best education I’ve had in years! Thank you.”

“I have found your lessons to be extremely helpful, and I particularly appreciate your emphasis on finding one’s own voice. The exercises, the combination of traditional ones and more freeform, are really helpful. I found the breathing exercises especially important, and useful for other areas of my life besides singing. This is over all true for me, in that finding more confidence in my musical voice has given me better tools for using my voice or expressing myself in general. Your feedback on the songs we worked on together was always thoughtful, supportive and constructive. It has been a real honor and very much a privilege to work with you. Thank you!”

“These are things you do that are rad:
1) strategic approach to each song/new skill (picking apart either intonation or dynamics, etc.)
2) I like the ways you describe all the physical pieces of singing, it’s an accessible and integrated approach
3) You take it seriously, but not too seriously. Laughing helps me relax and stay in touch with my body.”

“During my experience of being taught by Nomy, she sat with me and listened to find the roadblocks in my singing and helped me to work out each one with a smile. She is an expert teacher, laugher, supporter, comforter, and worker. If I wasn't so lucky to find an instructor with the perfect combination of all of these things right off the bat, I’m sure I would have bolted after my first lesson. Coming back to Nomy turned out to be the most exciting and fun process that I've been privileged to go through in a long, long time.”

my mom is cute and fun and looking for dates. i made her this website. i'm proud. it's the first website i have ever made all by myself. there's a piece i wrote about her, a recipe, booklists, and description of her "tikkun olam/heal the world" art project. oh and some cute photos. go to www.nomysmom.com today!!! email her! xox

Nomy Lamm currently has no projects. Please click the links to the right to find out about past work.