Meet Nicholas Loveridge – Guitar, Bass and Ukulele teacher at Maxx Music
Meet Nicholas Loveridge, one of our newer additions to the Maxx Music teaching team. Since joining us, Nicholas has quickly become a favourite among students and a much-valued member of the Maxx Music family. His passion and approachable style have made a big impact already!
He is a dedicated musician, who has been prolifically playing and writing music for the last twenty years. His teaching journey began in 2012 while he was studying for his Bachelor of Entertainment (Popular Music and Performance) at JMC Academy.
Since then, Nicholas has continued to tutor and play music as a singer-songwriter, guitarist, bass player and ukulele enthusiast. Nicholas has a deep passion for music that he shares with great enthusiasm in his lessons, for students young and old.
Nicholas currently plays acoustic cover gigs in bars while also plays bass in ukulele trio bandLoveridge And Sons, featuring his father and cousin. In February 2022 they headlined the well-loved Blue Mountains Ukulele Festival, showcasing a range of favorite ukulele songs, reimagined in Punk and Disco vibes. Nicholas Loveridge’s passion for music is contagious. Whether you are striving to become one of the next greats on the instrument or just looking to learn something new, Nicholas has
the experience and drive to see you achieve your goals.
Tell us a bit about your performance experience.
I perform regularly as a solo musician playing cover gigs in bars. I have played in many bands throughout the years and currently play bass in a Ukulele Trio called Loveridge And Sons with my father and cousin, in 2022 we headlined the Blue Mountains Ukulele Festival. I have also played in several musical theatre orchestra’s, one particular standout being
Hornsby Musical Society’s Production of Spongebob The Musical in 2022.
Why did you decide to teach music?
I decided to start teaching mostly because I love and live to play music. As my teaching journey began, I could see how rewarding sharing my knowledge was and the impact I was having on my students' musical journey. Teaching has not only made me a better musician but also a better person.
What are your top tips for getting the most out of practicing?
More practice is always needed. Breaking up the practice into regular 5 or 10min intervals
is incredibly beneficial. I also think it is important to dedicate time to have fun with the
practice and explore all the sounds the instrument can make. Practice works best when it is
convenient, simply having the instrument out and ready to go removes a practice hurdle.
One of my old guitar teachers told me I had to practice on the toilet. I'm unclear whether he
meant it but the idea has stuck with me to this day. What I interpret this to mean is you need
to make the time and you can always find creative ways to put in the hours. More practice is
always needed and you can never practice too much.
How have your musical tastes and influences changed over the years?
My music tastes are in a constant state of flux. I like a lot of different music and try to expand my music listening regularly. I grew up in a musical household so there was always music playing. I took great interest in Rock music when I was young and set off to learn how to play my favourite ACDC and Kiss songs. As my playing grew so did my music tastes, in a few
short years I was into blues, classical, folk, soul music and a special interest for film composers.
A good song is a good song regardless of the artist and genre. At the moment I have been listening to modern composers like Max Richter, Olafur Arnolds, Christopher Larkin and River Boy. Another few artists high in my rotation at the moment are Hiatus Kaiyote, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and Dolly Parton.
What book or film has profoundly affected your perspective on music?
There are a few books that come to mind, all of which are about understanding our brain & it’s relationship to music. There has been a lot of research into how our music tastes solidify in our teenage years and the new music we like reminds us of the foundation music we had in our early years. I am really fascinated by this. Who knew music and neuroscience had such
strong ties?
- How Music Works, David Byrne
- This Is Your Brain On Music, Daniel Levitin
- Musicophilia, Oliver Sacks
I also have a strong interest in music History. The book How Equal Temperament Ruined Harmony (And Why You Should Care) by Ross W.Duffin is a fascinating exploration of the standardization of music notes that we know today in western music.
Has Nicholas inspired you to want to learn to play yourself? Contact us to find out more and to book your trial lesson.
