Nick Kello was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and spent his childhood and later years traveling and living in diverse corners of the globe, including Boston, Montreal, Rio De Janeiro and Sao Paulo. This global upbringing afforded him both a fluency in the diverse languages in which he sings his music (Portuguese, English, Spanish and French) as well as a natural exposure to a wide variety of musical tastes and styles. Nick earned a degree in Philosophy and Literature from Boston College, as well as a degree in Musical Performance for the Guitar from California Institute of the Arts, where he studied with Miroslav Tadic, Stuart Fox, and Larry Koonse. For the past ten years, Nick has worked as a performer, recording artist, composer and educator. He has been involved in composing and performing music for various interdisciplinary arts projects, (including animation, dance and theater), and has also performed live concerts of both traditional Brazilian songs and original compositions. These have included local performances at REDCAT in downtown L.A., House of Blues in Hollywood, and the Levitt Pavilion in Pasadena; as well as South American and European venues. His recent studio work has included a Bossa Nova song, with French lyrics, entitled "Amoreuax de Toi" (B. Rubin), which was released by University of Arizona Recording in 2010. Nick has worked prolifically as an educator in a variety of school settings -- teaching diverse subjects, including songwriting, guitar, student ensembles, music theory, literature and philosophy. He is currently based in Los Angeles, California, where, aside from his work as a composer, performer, and recording artist, he is still actively involved as an educator. In September of 2010, Nick began working at the pioneering Los Feliz Charter School For the Arts, where, aside from teaching and developing the music program, he works on curriculum arts-integration and chairs the Artist Residency Program.
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Founded in 1970, Plaza de la Raza is a private, non-profit organization in East Los Angeles that provides year-long programs in arts education and serves as an arts center for the local community. From 2007 - 2010, work here included coordinating the CalArts CAP (Community Arts Partnership) Music Program, teaching classes, and organizing as well as hosting, final concerts. Nick also worked on composing and performing original music scores for three annual theater productions in 2007, 2008 and 2010. Three performances for each production were held at the Margo Albert Theater, and two at the REDCAT Theater in downtown Los Angeles. Click the image below to view a documentary film by the Annenberg Foundation, (for the "Explore" program on linktv.org), about Plaza de la Raza and the making of the play "Jacked!: The Mystery of the Missing Muse."
Collaborations have included composing, performing and recording music for various projects relating to animation, dance, conceptual art and theater.
"THE HIDDEN MUSE"
The original song "The Hidden Muse" was composed as a feature for the CAP/Plaza de la Raza Youth Theater Production "Jacked! The Mystery of the Missing Muse," and can be heard here .
"IN TECH-NI-KOHLER"
An original music score was composed and recorded for this short animation film done in collaboration with the CalArts Animation program and elementary school students at Inner City Arts: a non-profit organization aimed at providing education and involvement in the arts to inner-city children.
THE OTHER PROJECT
Performed as part of this provocative and stimulating forum organized by L.A.- based artist Evelyn Serrano. The performance took place in a refugee tent, originally designed to provide temporary shelter at emergency sites in Afghanistan and other parts of the world. The tent was set up on one of the hills in Fire Valley, an un-developed lot adjacent to the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) school buildings. You may visit The Other Project's website here.
Performed with a Brazilian Music Ensemble at CalArts and recorded an interpretation of a traditional Baião song at EMI Capitol Records in Los Angeles, California for the annual Cal Arts Jazz CD.
Recorded songs for Los Angeles-based songwriter Bethany Rubin. The song "Amoreux de Toi" was released by University of Arizona Recording in 2010 and appeared on the compilation album "C'Est Magnifique: Chansons de Paris." Two of the songs can be heard here.
Was hired by Upper Ground Enterprises to perform acoustic guitar in the T.V. pilot shoot of a show for BBC America. The pilot was filmed at Ben Kitay Studios in Hollywood, CA.
Nick is available for hire worldwide to bring the sounds of Brazil, classical guitar, jazz standards and/or originals songs, to any desired event. He can perform as a solo artist, as well as accompanied by a talented ensemble. Click here to contact him and feel free to peruse the comments below.
For the past eleven years Nick has worked prolifically as an educator in private and public schools and community-based institutions, as well as providing private home instruction. He has taught, and continues to teach, a diverse array of subjects: including guitar, songwriting, music theory, student ensembles, literature and philosophy. He is currently based in Los Angeles, California, where he has been actively involved as an educator and a coordinator of Music Programs for inner-city kids and non-profit community centers. In September of 2010, Nick began working at the pioneering Los Feliz Charter School For the Arts, where he has been teaching and developing the music program and working on ways to foster curriculum arts-integration. To contact him for lessons or teaching work click here, and feel free to peruse the comments below.
"The Los Feliz Charter School for the Arts (LFCSA) is a parent-initiated, non-profit, public elementary school with an emphasis in project-based learning in and through the arts. It is a community of motivated parents, highly qualified educators, and diverse students guided by the principle of project-based learning as the driving element of creating 'multiple intelligence' lifelong learners. Since its launch in 2005, the LFCSA community has achieved enormous strides toward its mission of becoming the only arts-based public elementary school in Los Angeles creating progressive in-school and after-school educational experiences that define it as an inspirational educational model for the city and the nation."
In September of 2010, Nick began teaching and developing the music program at LFCSA. He is also working on ways to foster curriculum arts-integration and chairs the Artist Residency Program. This program is geared towards offering students exposure to a wide variety of creative minds and artistic media, while also providing a free studio space for talented artists.
To learn more about LFCSA and watch a short introductory video, please visit http://losfelizarts.org/ .
The Musicians Roster is a comprehensive database of performers administered by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission in its continuing effort to make the arts accessible to the public. Nick was admitted into the roster in 2011.
With funding support from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, the Arts Commission administers the sponsorship of free concerts at community venues throughout L.A. County to provide access to quality music programming representing the diversity of its residents. Eligible organizations include Los Angeles County-based parks, libraries, hospitals, juvenile halls, probation camps, arts organizations, civic centers, senior citizen centers, and other non-profit performance venues. Performances must be free and open to the general public and organizations seeking support for free music programming are required to select musicians from the Musicians Roster. If your organization would like to hire Nick to perform a free show, you may find out more info and download the application at www.lacountyarts.org . You may also contact the LA County Arts Commission with any questions at publicevents_arts.lacounty.gov.
