Today we’d like to introduce you to Nick Veine.
Hi Nick, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started playing guitar when I was 10 years old. In years prior, my dad would play guitar for my brother and I around the house. He would sing a few songs before we went to bed and was always gentle and entertaining, sometimes singing classic songs, sometimes goofy improvisations.
I picked up acoustic and quickly moved to electric–as any “wannabe cool kid 10 year old” is apt to do–absorbing rock and blues repertoire like a sponge. When I was 13/14, I started performing and switched to acoustic (it worked better with my voice). I would play guitar on the street for hours at a time in downtown Manistee before branching out to other places in the Northwest Michigan area.
When I was 18, I moved to Boston to attend Berklee College of Music. No longer was I a big fish in a small pond, but a true struggling artist trying to figure everything out. I continued to play blues and formally learned jazz and so much more, while still maintaining ties to American Roots Music, for which I completed my minor.
I was in an a cappella group, where I met some of my dearest friends. I studied under some of the best music teachers in the world, including Livingston Taylor.
A few years later, after attending a songwriting camp in Nashville, I attended Belmont University to earn my Master of Music in Classical Composition. I shortly moved back to my home: the pinky 🙂
Nowadays, I’m teaching lessons (guitar, piano, vocals, ukulele, composition, and more) and performing around the state. I love what I do and can’t wait to do more.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Of course not. Art in any form is expensive and not always glamorous. But I can’t see myself doing anything else with my life.
School was pricey, even with scholarships. Being far away from home affected me more than I probably realized at the time. When attending school, I was presented with my first real challenges academically and musically, but they made me stronger and pointed me in the direction that I would feel the most fulfilled.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I play a large variety of music from jazz to blues to folk to country to classical. But my passion is twofold: the blues and James Taylor. I put on a James Taylor Tribute Show as well as a blues history presentation/performance.
I’m probably known best for my large vocal range, eclectic setlist, and guitar playing. I like bringing all of my musical authenticity to a show and putting on the best performance I can for whatever audience decides to spend their evening with me.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Something to do with Harry Potter, I’m sure 🙂
I read those books and made them a part of my personality. I’ve gone to the theme park (as an adult, but it made me feel childlike), watched all of the movies, and read the books multiple times. I recall at one point trying to write an “8th book” for fun.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://nickveine.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/highsodiumblues
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/NVeine
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@NickVeineMusic
- Other: https://tiktok.com/@highsodiumblues
