Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicco Centofanti.
Nicco, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I grew up in a somewhat musical family; my dad played electric guitar in several bands in Boston in the 80s and music was always playing in the house, often classic rock or R&B. I enjoyed listening to music from a young age, but I didn’t realize it was something that I could do personally until middle school. I was lucky enough to have a music program there in the form of group piano lessons, and I did that for about a year.
Eventually, I decided that piano wasn’t clicking for me and started teaching myself guitar after school. It was at this point that the bug bit me and I’ve been practicing virtually non-stop since then. I played guitar in the high school jazz band for four years; we did about 200 shows and even played at Disney World. I decided I wanted to go pro and do it full time, so I went to school for music, first at UVM and then at Berklee.
During all this time, I was playing in as many bands as I could get my hands on, fronting my own bands, and teaching music both privately and out of various studios in MA. I joined up with roots rockers Freevolt in 2015 and we have been on the road crushing it ever since, releasing our third album about a year ago.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The road definitely has not been smooth! Being in this industry and doing it full time for a living means that you need to stay as diverse and flexible as possible in order to maximize your income (if any income at all), and always be chasing new opportunities, even if it means you can’t make the exact art you want to make or need to but your personal goals or even personal life on the back burner for a while.
As you can imagine, the financial and personal anxiety this career generates takes a toll on your mental health, and it certainly makes packing it in and calling it quits in order to have a “normal” lifestyle tempting. It’s important to stay humble and be grateful that you are fortunate enough to do music for a living, but also to stay hungry and constantly be planning your next move. You can’t rest even for one second – it’s exhausting, but it’s the best feeling there is.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am a guitarist and music educator active all over MA. I am most easily found teaching at Noteworthy Experiences music studio in Sudbury, or on the road with Freevolt; we do about 100 shows a year! I pride myself on my diversity and ability to competently play any genre while maintaining my own personal style
I am known for my ability to stay loose and upbeat and to maintain a fun atmosphere in person and on stage while also behaving with the utmost of professional conduct. Whether it be new students or new performance opportunities, that’s the secret to repeat business.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Started much earlier! I think of how much further I move from year to year, starting my career even one year earlier would be great – imagine what I could do with ten!
Contact Info:
- Email: ncentofa@gmail.com
- Instagram: centofuntime
- Facebook: nicco.centofanti
Image Credit:
KM Photography, Tanya Maxham Photography, Scott Homebrew Photography
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