Hello! My name is Michael Nikolidakis. I am a musician, educator, and proud director of Michael’s Music School. I offer quality piano and guitar instruction to students of all ages and levels at my teaching studio in Mount Laurel, NJ and remotely via Zoom.
My location is particularly convenient to Moorestown, Marlton, Medford, and Cherry Hill, although students come from all over South Jersey and the Philadelphia area
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Music is my passion. I started my musical journey three decades ago, and each day brings something new. Music teaches us so much about ourselves and our world, combining beauty, curiosity, self-expression, mathematics, science, and athletics together into a singular, whole-brain activity. Rachmaninoff said it well when pointing out that “Music is enough for a lifetime, but one lifetime is not enough for music.”
Little did I know that I would develop a second passion and mission: teaching and sharing music. Developing a love of music-making with my students is at the heart of my teaching philosophy.
It is also true that learning an instrument has its host of challenges, which can be more easily navigated with the guidance of an experienced teacher. In lessons, time and attention are devoted to some mix of to developing technique, playing varied repertoire, preparing for performances at our recitals, ensemble skills, sight-reading, playing by ear, arranging, music theory, musicianship, improvising, and composing. Students learn classics to modern music, from beginning into advanced levels. The exact track a student follows depends on the individual’s interests, strengths, goals, and rate of mastery of assigned materials. I tailor lessons to the student to help them achieve personal goals.
Some students are hobbyists and play for pleasure and enrichment while others who are on a more dedicated, pre-college track. As a teacher, I steer my students, but it is they who must “drive” and make time to practice in order to excel in music. Students sometimes get involved in school bands, their own bands, or pit orchestras. My students have gone on to gain acceptance into music programs at Temple University, Rowan University, University of the Arts, Bard College, NYU, Baldwin-Wallace University and others.
Areas of concentrations include piano and guitar, although targeted instruction in musicianship, theory or composition is also available. I am both self-taught and conservatory-trained. I am a state-certified music teacher and remain an active performer with a various music groups around the region. Most commonly I can be heard playing guitar in the swing guitar stylings of Django Reinhardt, the pioneering Gypsy jazz guitarist, although I love and play many styles of music. I like to build bridges, not walls, between musical genres, and to always keep an open mind, and encourage my students to do the same.
Whether you are a beginner just getting started or you already play but are looking for new approaches, I can help you reach your goals!
I would be happy to discuss lessons for you or your child. Please be sure to view the promo video below, and CLICK HERE to get in touch and get the conversation started!