Nicole Greene
Nicole's Bio
Ms. Nicole Lynette Greene is a native Washingtonian with a life long love of the arts but favorably for music. She began music studies at age eight in a different way than most: learning music theory in a group class under the late Mrs. Carol Sellars-Kirk at her elementary school, Washington McGlaughlin Christian School. Because she excelled quickly, Nicole immediately began taking classical piano lessons with Mrs. Sellers-Kirk at nine years of age. After six months of loving beginnings, her musical growth led her to study under Mrs. Sellars-Kirk’s colleague, Ms. Nevilla Ottley, at The Ottley Music School, and Nicole quickly excelled to mid-intermediate level. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Scott Joplin, H.T. Berleigh, and other composers became regular in her studies and prevalent in performances, and she performed her debut solo recital at age eleven. During Nicole’s four years with the nurturing and great musical influence of Ms. Ottley, she performed in many recitals at the music school, her church, and some small private events in the metropolitan area.
In 1995, Ms. Greene went on to audition for and was accepted to attend Duke Ellington School of the Arts for high school as a classical piano major. Her piano instructor, Mrs. Sukey Goh, encouragingly challenged Nicole to participate in classical piano competitions for confidence building along with solo piano recitals which came with many blessings of personal and musical growth. During her junior year of high school and continuing throughout her senior year, she became a jazz piano minor under Mr. Davey Yarborough and was able to travel to Marcias and Paris, France to participate in the Jazz Festival each year. Also, during her junior year, Nicole auditioned for and was accepted at the Raymond Jackson Studio for private classical piano studies under the remarkable Dr. Raymond Jackson. He is also the former piano instructor of Mrs. Sukey Goh, I might add. Ms. Greene’s experience under Dr. Jackson is one of her most positively memorable times of her life. She performed in the Raymond Jackson Studio recitals, where I might also add that she also studied alongside close colleague and friend, Mr. Vincent Richardson, even more private events and competitions, and received many awards and honors. Nicole’s time with Dr. Jackson nearing the end of her senior year was filled with tedious preparations of auditions for music conservatories and colleges like Julliard School of music, Mannes School of Music, Peabody School of Music, Manhattan School of Music, to name a few. Her most intrigued choice was New England Conservatory where she gained knowledge that Dr. Jackson had graduated from there and was still on the board of overseers. She auditioned and was accepted to attend New England Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts.
From 1999-2001, she attend the conservatory and studied under Dr. Jockum, then she transferred to the “real” HU, Howard University in Washington, DC to resume her studies under Dr. Jackson where she attended from 2001-2002. Difficult life experiences from personal challenges led Nicole to take a break from music but her love for it never ended. Because of her extensive experience of music studies and making acquaintances with many people from events in which she participated in piano performing, her name was suggested for becoming a church pianist at a small church in DC, Church of God’s Love in 2004. This new experience was the rebirth to playing music again and led to her playing hymns and even some former classical pieces for church events. Since then, she became the mother of two beautiful daughters, Imani and Adama Yates, and has been a church pianist/choir director for many other churches, some being McKendree-Simms-Brookland United Methodist Church, East Washington Heights Baptist Church, Lincoln AME Church, and several others. Ms. Greene’s longest residing ministry of music involves being a children’s, youth, adult choir director, praise team singer/pianist, and church pianist for her now home church at McKendree going on nine years, and her children even participate in the children’s choir.
Nicole sparked the desire to become a classical piano teacher long ago but didn’t realize it until she became a choir director, teaching others about music though song and influencing others of how to find their own love of music with expression. Her friend, Vincent, remembered her early days of their classical piano studies and was encouraged by him to join his team of music teachers at the Richardson School of Music. With some thought and a leap of faith, she gladly joined the RSM family in 2014 and has truly been blessed to experience this venture. Teaching others has warmed her spirits to see what she received in her studies now being passed on to her students. She encourages everyone to bring the best of themselves out of each piece of music so that others can be a part of one of the greatest arts of all: MUSIC!