Lesson Details
About
- Teaches students:
- Ages 5+ and special needs
- Teaching since:
- August 2008
"To play wrong notes is insignificant. To play without passion is inexcusable." - Beethoven
I was five years old when I discovered my singing voice. My youthful curiosity soon blossomed into a passion for musical expression through voice, violin, piano, and guitar. My mission is to share the musical exploration that has enriched my life by fostering my students' desires to express themselves through music.
As a teacher, I focus equally on formal technique and artistic expression. Mastering correct form provides the foundation upon which a student’s capacity for the latter may grow. Techniques used during lessons are designed to develop a holistic understanding of music through aural, visual, and tactile cues. These include ear training, sight-reading, improvisation and using visualization to navigate the instrument. Progress is evaluated by developing a set of goals specific to each student. I find that allowing students input in originating goals facilitates a cooperative learning environment and allows me to tailor lessons to a student's interests, strengths and learning preferences. Providing students with a plan to succeed inspires a drive to learn and sense of achievement. I encourage students to play their instruments daily. Through consistent practice, students will benefit from increased discipline, patience, creativity and self-esteem. Students are rewarded with the chance to share what they've learned at recitals held biannually. For the duration of our lesson, my students are in a private, nurturing zone of free expression. Join me in an exploration of personal talent and creativity!
Nicole has performed with the Rollins College Bach Festival Society Orchestra, under the direction of Dr. John V. Sinclair. She has also performed with the Florida Space Coast Philharmonic under the direction of Dr. Candler Schaffer. She is experienced as a session musician, recording vocals and violin at Wright Entertainment Group Studios (Justin Timberlake) with producer Will Baker (India Arie, Pink). She has performed as a soloist at the White House, Bob Carr Performing Arts Center, Amway Arena, and Hard Rock Live.
Nicole holds Bachelor of Arts degrees (with honors) in Music and Anthropology, graduating Summa Cum Laude from Rollins College. A member of the Honors Program (top 2%), and one of nine Cornell Scholars in her graduating class, she is very grateful to have been awarded a full academic scholarship. Nicole pursued concentrations in Violin and Vocal Performance, as well as Ethnomusicology. Nicole served as co-concertmaster of the Rollins College Orchestra and String Ensemble for three, consecutive years, under the direction of Dr. John V. Sinclair. She was featured at Christmas Vesper services in a solo performance of Winter (The Four Seasons) by Vivaldi, at the Knowles Memorial Chapel. Nicole has studied violin with Joni Roos and Alvaro Gomez, protege of David Oistrakh. She has performed as a soloist with the Rollins College Gospel and Concert Choirs and studied vocal pedagogy and performance with Dr. Edmund Leroy and Dr. Lori Lovell. At Rollins, Nicole studied piano with Dr. Gloria Cook and enjoys playing classical, jazz, and Latin styles. Nicole has studied classical guitar for seven years and especially enjoys playing Latin American folk music and flamenco. Nicole pursued her love of world music in publishing her senior honors thesis, “Cultural Fusion of Music Constructs: A Look at Hybrid World Styles,” analyzing the effects of globalization on traditional, ethnic musics. She has published research in the Rollins Undergraduate Research Journal, where she also served as Music and Anthropology Editor for three years.
Experience
Voice, Violin, Piano and Guitar Instructor
Jul 2009 - PresentNicole instructs over 30 students at her studio. She delights in sharing her love of music!
Piano and Guitar Instructor
Aug 2011 - May 2013Nicole has experience instructing elementary and middle school students in piano and guitar ensemble classes at Lakemont Elementary, Hillcrest Elementary and Orlando Science Middle School.
Piano and Violin Instructor
Aug 2009 - May 2010Nicole provided private music lessons to elementary and middle school students after school.
Music Instructor
Jun 2009 - Jul 2009Nicole instructed elementary school children (ages 5-11) in fundamentals of music, relating to melody, harmony, rhythm, etc. She organized activities and developed curriculum, including musical petting zoo, make your own instrument, sounds of nature jam band and musical mindfulness.
+ Read MoreEducation
Bachelor of Arts in Music with Honors
Aug 2005 - May 2009Languages
Spanish
Awards
Grand Prize Scholarship Winner
Jul 2003Affiliations
American Federation of Musicians
May 2012A labor union representing professional musicians in the United States and Canada. Founding in 1896 as the successor to the "National League of Musicians," the AFM is the largest organization in the world representing the interests of professional musicians.
+ Read MorePhotos & Videos
53 Reviews
Write a ReviewNicole is a kind and bubbly professional. Her knowledge and understanding of the voice is exceptional, and she is very good at sharing and teaching that knowledge. I got everything that I was looking for from the lessons, and would highly recommend her.
Bhrayden had fun learning with Nicole.
Nicole is very knowledgeable. She’s very patient and dedicated. Looking forward to many more lessons to come.
Nicole is very kind and encouraging. I recommend her highly.
awesome - challenging yet perfect for my sons ability level - he learned so much and had fun. Nicole was encouraging and still appropriately corrected. Great techniques. Picking a song of his interest was great. Nicole knows what she is doing. Sings and plays the piano really well too! I was impressed.
+ Read MoreNicole O. is a great teacher! I am a mature woman and would recommend her to anyone. I have learned a lot and enjoyed every note of it. She fosters love of music as well has a talent for making it blossom in others. She's one of the best instructors I've met.
+ Read MoreNicole is absolutely fantastic and we have enjoyed her lessons thoroughly.
Nicole is a wonderful teacher and talented musician. She's very patient with our 9 year old daughter and encourages her every step of the way.
It is not easy to find such a talented and accomplish performer that also has an incredible talent, patience and desire for teaching especially young kids. We are very glad we found Nicole and very excited having our granddaughter is learning from one of the best.
+ Read MoreWe have had a wonderful experience with Nicole as my daughters guitar and voice teacher. She is very enthusiastic about her work and Ava has learned a lot from her. She brings her passion for music through to her students. Ava looks forward to her lesson every week. :)
+ Read MoreMy 6 year old has been taking lessons with Nicole for 5 weeks and she looks forward to it every week! Nicole is so positive, patient, and encouraging - exactly what I was looking for in a first teacher. We leave every lesson having learned something new and my daughter is so proud to show it off and practice when we get home. I highly recommend her!
+ Read MoreIt's been an honor working with Nicole. My daughter absolutely loves her. Nicole is soft spoken and great to get along with. My daughter is always excited for the lessons. Recommend!
My 6 year old daughter took piano lessons for the first time for about a year with Ms. Nicole. She is positive, energetic and did a great job! My daughter could be rather demanding and she handled it well and shifted gears to make it a positive experience. We are sad to leave these lessons and hope to come back to Ms. Nicole in the future. We are cancelling for personal reasons not related to Ms. Nicole and her teaching. I highly recommend her!
+ Read MoreShe was fantastic! Recommend!
Nicole is an accomplished and talented musician with a wide range skills and knowledge. Her warmth, encouragement, and patience provide a wonderful environment for learning. Her love of music is infectious!:)
My 8 year old daughter started taking piano lessons from Nicole a few months ago. Nicole is such a caring and inspiring teacher. My daughter loves to go to piano lessons and adores Nicole. It's so great to see how much she loves taking piano lessons and how much she has learned in such a short time!
+ Read MoreShe is so well trained in piano, guitar, violin and voice that she can do everything! Her attitude is the best and always encouraging and supportive. Just excellent. Good for little kids to senior citizens such as myself!
My daughter connected instantly with Nicole. Nicole's talent with music and for teaching are immediately obvious and greatly appreciated. I would recommend Nicole to anyone reading this review.
Nicole has been a great teacher to my daughter. She has enormous talent, is patient, and is an inspiration for her to continue her practice.
Ava really enjoyed her first lesson!
Thanks! :-)
Nicole is a GREAT instructor. She is very patient and kind. My 5 year old daughter always looks forward to her violin lessons with Nicole because she makes it fun and exciting for her. My daughter is also now doing piano lessons with her and I am VERY pleased with how she's coming along. I highly recommend Nicole especially if you have children who are very shy and nervous.
+ Read MoreNicole is talented, patient and fun to be around. I have only had 3 lessons and am loving every minute. She delights in sharing and notices any progress that I have made. I look forward to my lessons every week.
I think the reviews speak for themselves. Nicole is a nurturing, patient, and loving teacher. Always with a welcoming smile. A great teacher. I'd recommend her any day of the week.
Nicole has a great energy and makes you feel at home. Her technique is very effective and she makes singing seems effortless. Highly recommended! :)
I bought violin lessons as a birthday present. Nicole was extremely patient (first time learner) and helpful. I would gladly book her again.
I had Nicole she was very very nice and helped on my breathing she was very very sweet!! I want to work with her again someday
Can't wait for the next lesson every week!
Fantastic teaching methods and high vibing energy. Makes learning fun and encourages students to push there limits and grow to be the very best they are capable of.
Review
Wow, Nicole really knew what she was doing. She made me feel comfortable and I was able to learn breathing techniques. Can't wait for another lesson! Thanks Nicole!!
Review
Nicole was an amazing vocal teacher. She was very patient and kind with me. She taught me a lot and I would definitely love to have another lesson with her.
Nicole is extremely upbeat, joyous and fabulously encouraging
I love Nicole's joyful presence and very encouraging manner. She's talented and works with me to ensure that I get over my insecurities as a new player and enjoy the experience. Also love that she's very attuned to the physical toll that playing and performing takes and takes the time to explain the need for and the how to of exercises that will help me avoid injury or pain and to make my playing more toneful. I am very happy that I got to be one of her students. Oh, and she's been very good at accommodating my schedule and working with me when medical or travel needs interfere with my regular lessons.
Guitar God ; - 0
Nicole is knowledgeable, knows how to handle me, been playing 40 years, never bothered to learn music theory, so she works with that well. Flex plan works with me because of my busy schedule and Nicole works well with that, too
nice girl!
we are very happy with Nicole, she is very good at what she does and she has been help my son very much he loves her and feels very comfortable with her at the time of his lessons!!very good and positive personshe has very good vibs
Passionate about music
Nicole is a very talented individual who loves what she does. She has a great personality and patience with students of various skill levels. Nicole communicates passion in her music and involves in these musical endeavors. She's the best teacher for anyone to take lessons with, as she is very gracious.
Glad we choose Nicole.
I and my daughter 9 yrs old are glad that we choose Nicole for her violin class. My daughter having wonderful experience with Nicole. Nicole is flexible and responsive of any request. I would continue and any future lessons that my daughter would like to take.
Nicole is a great teacher.
We really like Nicole, She is very kind and patient with children. She has also been very flexible with the lessons which is another big plus for us. Thanks.
Very terrific person!
Nicole is a very talented individual who loves what she does. she is also very passionate about her profession. What I like the most about her is how patience and flexible she is with her students.
Awesome
Nicole is an awesome instructor! In a short time i've already seen an improvement in my singing. Thanks Nicole!
Nicole is very personable, talented and overall a superb instructor.
Instructor Review
Nicole is a great teacher. She is very knowledgable and works great with kids.
Excellent Piano teacher....
Jahzekiel is learning so much and so fast with Nicole. She is truly amazing and we are proud to have her as our son's teacher. I would highly recommend her to anyone that is looking to thrive and grow.
My daughter cant wait for thursdays!
My 5 year old daughter always marks her calendar for thursdays because its her favorite day... she has piano lessons with Ms.Nicole. She enjoys her time with Ms. Nicole and feels comfortable and at ease when shes learning. We are very happy with Nicole!
If You Want to Make Progress and Really Enjoy Doing It
Nicole is a great teacher! She's kind, relaxed, and thorough. Her comments and assignments have been just what I needed to make progress and start reaching my goals. I can see and hear real improvement in my piano playing, my knowledge, and my note reading. Believe all of Nicole's great feedback " I'm sure glad I did!
Nicole is an awesome teacher!! My daughter, Sophie, absolutely looks forward to her music lessons. My daughter has learned a lot from Nicole in such a short time. We are blessed to have Nicole as our teacher!!
Fantastic Teacher and Communicator
Nicole has very strong knowledge of musical theory and application, but more importantly she knows how to communicate this knowledge.I have been around many teachers and coaches and have been a coach myself. So I have seen everything from below average to outstanding. Nicole is in the 99+ percentile! She is a natural communicator to all levels. She provides continuous feedback in positive ways to help the student improve.I have been taking both of my daughters (14 and 8 years old) as well as myself to guitar lessons. Nicole is able to convey messages through various mediums (touch, feel, auditory, visualization, etc.) to all age levels making the learning experience top notch.
Excellent
Nicole is a wonderful teacher, she is professional, classy and talented. I recommend her highly.
Nicole is fun, patient and challenging all in one!
Nicole does a wonderful job of making my kids' lessons challenging yet fun. She is patient with them as they learn and they love playing so much now, they will often play their instruments on their own.
Great teacher with patience and consistancy. Flexible scheduling and open minded. Nicole is great!
Excellent Teacher-
Extremely talented and helpful teacher. Is very honest and easy to understand in her way of teaching. Very patient and really takes time to make sure the lesson is personal to help you. She is very flexible and dedicated to her work. I've had other teachers that are not even close to being as informative and considerate. I highly recommend this teacher. :D
My daughter loves her lessons with Nicole. She has really learned a lot in a short amount of time.
wonderful
encouraging, great instructions, great personality
Turned my playing around.
I'm an 18 year old multi-instrumentalist and had been teaching myself the violin for two years. I'd developed a lot of poor technique and bad habits. Within three months of lessons with Nicole, all that changed. I've received a solid foundation of technique and, with Nicole's help, I'm already building on it. I look forward to my lesson with her all week. She's knowledgeable, friendly, patient, and above all honest. You feel more like you're embarking on a musical adventure together, rather than the normal student-teacher dynamic. I would highly recommend Nicole as a violin teacher or for any of the subjects she teaches!
Mr
Our daughter is really enjoying her lessons with Nicole. She looks forward to seeing her for her lessons. The techniques Nicole is working on with Danielle are wonderful.
Very friendly and sweet, but very informative and helpful