"Hello! I am Nikolai. I am a guitarist with over a decade of playing experience, having started private lessons at the age of 13. Throughout my teens, I began playing in local bands and performed at venues such as Maxwell's and Bergen Performing Arts Center. From 2015-2019, I attended Emerson College and earned a B.A. in Media Arts, combining my love of video, performance, and music composition into filmmaking and multimedia projects.

In 2021, I began teaching private guitar lessons at New Windsor Music Academy and Rob's School of Music. Currently, I teach private lessons in Manhattan both virtually and in-person. I have had success with students across a wide variety of ages, from as young as 7 all the way through adult age. I tailor my instruction around each student's individual needs, so I welcome both absolute beginners and more experienced players.

Generally, my teaching style revolves around learning to play real-life songs as a vehicle for discussing other topics like rhythm and music theory. In my opinion, it's the best way I have found to keep lessons both fun and informative. For beginner students, lessons will focus on building foundational skills such as reading sheet music and guitar tablature, learning open chord shapes, and learning scales. For more advanced students, I teach song composition as well as more advanced playing techniques such as tapping, sweep picking, and improvisation.

My speciality is in metal and rock rhythm and lead playing, with a particular fondness for odd time signatures and interesting rhythmic subdivisions. However, I also play in other genres such as pop, indie, and jazz.

Feel free to contact me for any questions that you may have. I look forward to hearing from you!" less...