Meet a Musician: Nic D’Orsaneo
This post begins our Meet a Musician series where we interview music teachers and musician friends who bring unique perspectives to the music-making and learning process. Sit down with Nic D’Orsaneo, music educator and co-owner of Breaking the Barrier School of Music, to talk about his teaching journey, educational philosophy, and advice for growing musicians. Read the highlights from the interview below, or scroll to the bottom of this page to listen to the whole thing!
Nic as an Educator
Nic is a General Music teacher at Cook-Wissahickon School in the Philadelphia School District, where he has been teaching for over 17 years. His responsibilities includes teaching a comprehensive music curriculum for students in kindergarten through eighth grade, as well as directing a middle school chorus, a theater program and drum line.
But Nic’s workday doesn’t end when the school bell rings. After school, he heads to Breaking the Barrier School of Music, which he owns with his wife, Cortney, where he teaches both private and group lessons. Together, they are deeply committed to making high-quality music education accessible, personal, and meaningful.
Public School vs Private Lessons
When asked about the difference between teaching in a public school setting and teaching private lessons, Nic emphasized one central idea: every learner is different.
“Well, the thing is it depends on the learner. I tailor each lesson to the individual learner, same as my classes. I can’t just teach the same kindergarten curriculum repeatedly. Every kindergarten class is different, and every learner is different. You have to tailor the lesson to the learners when you’re in a classroom setting just as you tailor the curriculum to the individual taking the private lesson.”
In the classroom, Nic adjusts his teaching based on class size, skill level, and even the overall energy of the group. In private lessons, this individualized approach goes even further. Students are encouraged to help choose the music they work on, based on their interests and goals.
In contrast, when teaching in school, Nic selects repertoire intentionally. He’s found that when students are exposed to high-quality music, they grow to enjoy it—even if it’s not what they would have chosen themselves.
The Joy of Teaching
For Nic, the greatest joy of teaching comes from watching students grow. He works with learners of all skill levels, and seeing each student’s progress, no matter how small, is deeply rewarding. He is especially passionate about helping others develop the skills and confidence needed to pursue their goals. Seeing students work hard and experience the payoff of their effort is a rare and meaningful part of the profession. Music provides a unique outlet for this growth, allowing effort to transform into confidence over time. Sharing in his students’ musical journeys is one of the most fulfilling aspects of Nic’s work as an educator.
“The reason why I wanted to go into education was because of music. And then I still lost sight of that a little bit when I tried to become an admin, and I realized why the heck did I even get into this? Oh right! Because of the music. I want to be a teachers for music, not to look at data all day and to try to move PSSA scores, you know I mean?”
Nic’s true passion in life is music and he gets to share his passion for music through teaching. That sounds like the best job in the world, but, like everything, there are always pros and cons.
Challenges in Music Education
Like many educators, Nic faces ongoing challenges particularly with scheduling, administrative demands, and classroom management.
His key to successful classroom management is having a good rapport with his students. While these are often treated as separate skills, he sees them as inseparable. When it comes to school administration, Nic has learned the importance of confidence. More often than not, administrators don’t know the foundations of music. By clearly demonstrating the structure, purpose, and value of a strong music program, educators can help others see that music is not simply a break in the day, but a rigorous, intentional discipline. Showing confidence in one’s program through clear routines, engaged students, and purposeful instruction helps establish credibility and reinforces the importance of music education within the broader school community.
He also spoke candidly about frequent changes to schedules and curricula; many of which have little to do with music. His advice for surviving in the profession? Don’t take yourself too seriously. Music classes are often seen as a break for students—but Nic sees that as an opportunity.
Most kids don’t go to school because they want to get their math scores higher. They’re coming to school and they’re like, “Man, what are we doing in music today? What are we doing in art today? What are we doing in gym?” That’s what they care about.
By giving students something to look forward to, Nic makes music class meaningful, engaging, and valuable.
Advice to His Younger Self
The one thing Nic wishes he knew before graduating college is that every child is different. “It’s not an A = B format. It’s all gray area.”
While college and graduate school provided a foundation, they couldn’t fully prepare him for real-world teaching. Nic emphasizes the importance of never stopping learning, even after formal education ends. He says to always be a learner even while teaching.
Advice to Growing Musicians
Nic’s advice to aspiring musicians, especially those going to college for music education, is simple but powerful: learn every instrument you can.
Nic experienced the importance of this firsthand as a music ed major who personally favorited the drums. He said that learning every instrument is what helped him open Breaking the Barrier. It opened the door to so many opportunities for him, and he is sure it will do the same for young musicians who are just starting their careers. Do as much as you can in every aspect of music to get the experience and to make yourself valuable in your profession.
Nic also thinks it’s important to work with as many musicians as you can from all different disciplines and professional levels. You never know what you might learn from someone. Making connections with other musicians, students, teachers, people from management, business owners, and more can really have an impact on your knowledge and career. And this goes both ways, especially with his students! Nic recalled one of his favorite times running into past students:
This summer I had several ‘old’ students help me set up my classroom for the upcoming year. From a ninth grader to a 25 year-old and ages in between, it was cool because they all came back to say hi even though they’re not all musicians now. They still remember that I changed their lives and taught them strong values and key principles. There’s one student, Angelo, who now works for the district as a custodial member. He remembers that I taught him to always show up, be on time, and work hard. He told me that he remembers that I taught him these skills and decided to put in the extra effort. As a result, he got this great paying job because of those things. That’s cool because that’s not even musical- but it matters.
Final Thoughts
Moments like these are what keep Nic motivated as a music educator. Music brings people together in powerful, lasting ways—and music education helps make that magic possible. Without people who are passionate about music and music education, we lose this kind of magic. Nic is hopeful for the future because of his past and current students. He knows there are more people in the world who will keep the music alive.
Nic is an incredible musician and teacher who values his connections with the people around him and spreading music to everyone. We are proud to know Nic, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for him. Thanks for reading this week’s blog post! We’ll catch you next week with an article on how and when to clean your instrument.
(An audio recording of the full interview is available below for those who would like to listen.)
As an institution that is a beat above the rest, Breaking the Barrier School of Music provides quality music lessons in a family atmosphere to students of all ages and skillsets. For more articles like these or information on this school, visit https://btbschoolofmusic.com/
