Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Equerme.
Hi Nicole, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am currently a performing musician out of Mount Dora. I mostly play guitar and sing but also play mandolin and banjo.
I started playing music when I enrolled in band at 10, and played the French horn through high school and college.
Along that journey, I picked up trumpet, at 14 I began playing guitar, and then mandolin around 17… I was a self-taught guitarist, and learned mandolin by attending the local Friday night bluegrass jams in Ocoee.
I obtained a bachelor’s in English from Stetson University, and a bachelor’s I music from Rollins College. While at Stetson, I also minor in Digital Arts (audio), and began working as a technician at Universal Orlando. After helping to open up Diagon Alley/Hogwarts Express/Gringotts, once things were running smoothly, I decided to pursue music full-time… and haven’t looked back since!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think the biggest challenge I find in being self-employed in the arts is continuing to re-discover your passion. Luckily for me, I am a very curious person, so I keep that fire alive by continuously exploring new ways to do or think about music.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am so fortunate to be able to pursue music that truly moves me. Any kind of folk/roots music, I am very much into. If it has any sort of heritage behind it, I’m probably into it. These days, that takes the form of bluegrass/Americana, and Celtic/Traditional Irish music.
I listen to a lot of this stuff, so I am always curious how it feels to play. A lot of folk music has specific rhythmic or melodic feels, and I always want to know what it would feel like to have that under my fingers…. Of course, the more of it I do, the more I realize how much I don’t know…. Which fuels further explorations.
I am at a point in my career where people mostly are aware of what it is I do, and a lot of the time, hire me to play how I play and do what I do. When I first started playing music for a living, it was not like that… I had to take any gig that came across the table, and while that made me an exponentially better musician, there is something really lovely about majority of the time, getting to do what makes your heart happy.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Family is first and foremost. That is who is with you and beside you no matter what. My family is always my first priority.
I also hold nature in very high regard. I believe most of our problems can be solved by turning to nature. I have always been a huge science nerd and it really helps me understand how I fit into this world by examining the natural world around me.
And of course music is… at this point in my life, in every facet and fiber of my being. It is in everything I do. So many lessons I learn in music are also applicable throughout life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nicoleequerme.com
- Instagram: @nequerme
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicoleequermemusic
