Nick Hamel
Nick (he/him) is a Portland native and graduate of the University of Oregon’s jazz studies program. Nick’s musical journey has taken him across the United States and Europe, where he’s performed notably at Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, and Monterey Jazz Festival in California. Nick empowers students to explore their musical path and achieve their goals through patient and step by step instruction.
What age were you when you first started taking music lessons?
5 years old
Tell us about an early music lessons experience that helped shape you as a musician or teacher:
I remember the feeling I got from playing my first piano recital, and how accomplished I felt after having worked hard on the song and hearing the applause. It made all the hard work feel like it paid off!
What are your favorite bands or musicians?
Allan Holdsworth is currently my favorite guitarist. His tone and phrasing have been rock solid over his entire career, he has always sounded like himself! Other guitarists that have had a major influence on me are Jimi Hendrix, George Benson, Wes Montgomery, and Bill Frisell to name a few. Other instrumentalists and musicians that inspire me are George Duke, Charles Mingus, Radiohead, and Frank Zappa, Billy Strayhorn, and Herbie Hancock to name a few.
Do you have a highlight of your music career so far that you would like to share?
One highlight from my music career thus far is playing guitar on a live session at the KEXP radio studio with my friend Matt Dorrien. Another was being asked to perform two nights at the Nordgaard festival in Tromsø Norway, north of the artic circle.
Describe your ideal student.
My ideal student is one who challenges me to keep ahead of them. I would love to teach more students that are inquisitive and introspective, with a burning desire to be the best musician they can!
Describe what your students should expect in their first few music lessons.
Lots of technique building exercises to get their hands in shape, rhythm counting and clapping, and fretboard familiarity with regards to note names.
Why did you want to become a music teacher?
Because you can’t keep it unless you give it away!