Indiana Conservatory of Music - Carmel, Indiana

Nora D.

I have been through a gamut of piano teachers and various piano schools since my kids were 6 years old (over 7 years now) and of all of them, Nik Pine has been without a doubt, the best of the best. It is not just his technical skills, excellence, and meticulous attention to detail that make him such a great teacher- it’s a much deeper level of observation and genuine concern about his students that makes their relationship not just someone who teaches them piano—but someone who inspires them, makes it fun, and pushes them to push themselves to levels they weren’t sure they would be capable of achieving. From my standpoint as a parent observing my kids progress—I have been astounded at how quickly they have progressed under his tutelage, which wasn’t always the case with previous teachers. I genuinely enjoy listening to them practice. One of the things I love about Nik is that he is a no nonsense teacher- he is firm but kind- and his seriousness in his craft is transmitted to the kids in how seriously they take it as well.. I seldom have to remind them to practice piano throughout the week—they know they need to bust their bottoms all week long! These life lessons carry over to other aspects in their life and have made the kids more attentive to their responsibilities- parenting win! Frankly speaking, while Nik is pricey in comparison to some of the piano schools, I have come to realize as with other things in life, you get what you pay for. Nik is definitely worth the extra cost because I see how inspired he makes the kids, and thus, I foresee them to continue playing into adulthood. I wholeheartedly recommend ICM.