Personal Letter from Nicole
Hello!
Thank you for taking the time to check out my website. I hope you enjoy reading about me and my experiences. I also hope that whether you are viewing this website because you’re interested in dance for your child or because you're interested in my singing career, you can see that this is more of a passion than a business for me.
I’ve had a love for singing and dancing since as long as I can remember. I loved watching Shirley Temple movies, still do. My joke is that when I grow up I’m going be a child star just like her. I would have to say she is the reason I love to sing and dance. Watching her movies and the old Busby Berkeley movies, you know, the old black and whites.
When I was in 1st grade we had a porch over the front door of our apartment entrance. I would go out there and sing to my mom’s records. I would pretend it was a stage. Well, one particular day my mom decided to check on me and see what I was up to and when she opened the door I was standing on the porch singing my little heart out to Show Boat and I had an audience of adults and children from the neighborhood standing there watching me. Mom says she just closed the door and didn’t say anything. But she says she couldn’t believe what she saw. Lol.
Mom always took us kids to see musicals. She was a big advocate of making sure us kids were exposed to culture. Her father loved the arts, too. We didn’t have much money and I didn’t get to start dance classes as soon as I wanted, but mom did find the money to take me and my brother and sister to see shows such as "Hello, Dolly!" starring Bette White and "Show Boat" at Otterbein.
In second grade I sang for my class, for no special reason, "Bill" from Show Boat. It was so sweet of Ms. Michaels to let me perform. That year was the year I had my first real performance on stage, singing a Duet "You Light Up My Life" with my future husband. That’s another story. :) I don’t know if it was that year, too, but my brother and I performed “Sue Me” from Guys and Dolls for my aunt and uncle and grandpa. My brother also sang "Sit Down You're Rockin’ the Boat" from the same show. I’m sure I sang a solo too, but don’t remember the song. It must have been a hoot to see us, me 8 and my brother 10 singing such adult songs. Mom finally found a studio she could afford to get me into dance classes when I was in third grade. And so my voice and dance training began and it lead me to where I am now.
For me it’s not about becoming rich and famous, it’s about doing what I love and sharing what I love with other people. So whether your little “star” wants to dance on a stage or you enjoy listening to music, I hope I can make your child’s dream a reality and/or I hope you enjoy my singing.
I know karaoke isn’t considered a dignified venue for singing. It has a reputation for having very bad singers. But karaoke really is a wonderful means of entertainment. It gives anyone a chance to be a star, good or bad. For me it is a way to “perform” and try new songs. I always love when the audience cheers for a song I do well, but it’s also fun to have people pick my next song and try something I wouldn’t normally sing. So even being a good singer, if you’re trying something you’re not familiar with or isn’t in your key, you may not sound as good as you can be. It takes a lot of courage to get up in front of people and sing. I always try to be supportive of anyone who tries. I hope some day you’ll try it, because whether you’re good or not isn’t the point, you may just discover a hidden talent you didn’t know you had.
The reason I love teaching for Columbus Parks and Recreation is because I get to teach a lot of children who may or may not be able to afford private studio classes. I know I would have loved to have had started classes at the age of three. So I love giving other children the opportunities that I didn’t have. There is nothing more thrilling than wearing a fancy costume and performing on a stage in front of an audience.
Whatever your dreams or goals you have in life, I hope you aspire to achieve them. Life isn’t about the car you drive or the house you live in, it’s about the experiences, the special moments and reaching out to other people. Share your passion and live your dreams.
All the Best,
Nicole Johnson