Bio

Nicholas is a uniquely modern pianist, composer and educator. He has worked extensively on film, television and multimedia scores, while also helping aspiring musicians, professional artists and hobbyists achieve their career / musical goals. He is passionate about helping people understand the foundations of music, and helping develop their own artistic voices through improvisation, composing and performance.

Nicholas’ musical voice artistically and skillfully moves between styles, meaning he is well versed to unpack, analyze and share knowledge across a variety of genres in helping students to (a) build their foundational technique and musical knowledge and (b) use those this vocabulary to learn pieces, perform or create their own music.

Nicholas is passionate about helping students unlock their potential and reach their goals. Nicholas’ understanding of how to present complex ideas in a musically accessible for students way can be traced to his eclectic musical background, and deep study of the piano and scores since the age of 9. Trained as a conservatory level classical and jazz pianist, Nicholas honed his compositional craft through deep study of traditional and cutting edge styles. With each student, he takes a unique approach to fit the individual, in line with their objectives.

Teaching Info

I’m a pianist, composer and educator with over 16 years experience teaching piano, composition and ear training. I have worked with students of all ages, from complete beginner to conservatory level and professional artists.

My pedagogy is based on the premise that music is a language. As such, my teaching focuses on

(1) helping students to hear, identify and understand musical elements in real time (from individual notes, to harmony and chord progressions, ear training and sight reading); and

(2) connect this understanding to becoming a proficient pianist, sight reader and improviser.

I cater lessons to the goals of the individual, curating a step by step process aimed at achieving their objectives. My principles are universally applicable across all styles, including Jazz, Classical, Pop, Funk, Blues and more, whether improvising or performing.

I graduated from the Jazz and Improvisation program at Monash University (Melbourne) as well as attended Jazz Programs at NYU and in Italy. I studied classical repertoire with acclaimed pianist Dr Donna Coleman.

I’ve been a professional performing artist and composer, playing everywhere from small clubs to concert halls for the past 15 years as well as scoring for films. I work both in person and remotely, offering a free introductory lesson. Price includes all materials, lesson summaries and musical analysis.