Amanda Khiri

I've spent most of my life learning how sound moves through a body—how a voice finds its way into a song, how a phrase can hold a story, how listening shapes what comes out.

I'm a vocalist, songwriter, and educator, and my work is rooted in American Classical Music (jazz), deep listening, and the belief that music is something we pass from one person to another—not just information, but a living practice.

I grew up as an informal and formal student of jazz. At Indiana University, I studied classical voice and Jazz Studies, notably spent 2 years with David Baker, the late great trombonist/cellist/conductor who played with Dizzy and Miles. It was an environment where rigorous technical training met the kind of close listening that taught me voice isn't just an instrument—it's a means of expression, translation, and connection. After Indiana University, I continued my education for 13 years with Nannette Natal in New York City, deepening my understanding of technique, musicianship, and pedagogy.

I spent almost 20 years in New York, where my path took me from intimate clubs to international stages, from traditional forms to experimental collaboration. I've toured and recorded with artists like Sinkane, co-wrote on the critically acclaimed album We Belong (which made the first round of Grammy voting), and performed internationally with projects including The Atomic Bomb! Band, a Luaka Bop–led tribute to William Onyeabor. I've shared stages and studios with David Byrne, Money Mark, Jamie Lidell, Alexis Taylor, Charles Lloyd, and many others whose work I deeply respect.

Beyond performance, I've been invested in creating spaces that honor musical history while inviting contemporary interpretation. I produced and curated Under The Influence, a concert series celebrating artists like Nina Simone and Marvin Gaye through collaborative reinterpretation. I've contributed vocals to visual and mixed-media installations, with artists like Phoebe Collings-James, and to recordings by artists like Kindness (Something Like a War). And I've returned repeatedly to my jazz roots through residencies and small-ensemble work—the kind of close listening that first shaped my foundation.

Amanda's teaching style is listening-first. Before technique, students learn to really hear — developing their ear, their instincts, and their own relationship with music.

Her approach is rooted in musical transmission: the idea that songs, styles, and histories live in the body. Lessons draw on deep musical history, with particular attention to the Black American traditions at the foundation of contemporary music.

Technique serves expression — not the other way around. Lessons are warm, unhurried, and judgment-free.

Ideal for adult beginners, returning singers, and anyone who loves music but has never quite felt like they belonged in a lesson room.