Stanford, Nicholas, Faculty, Elementary Music Teacher

Mr. Nicholas Stanford is a passionate music educator and scholar. Mr. Stanford earned two bachelor’s degrees—a Bachelor of Music (BME) in Music Education and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Philosophy—at the State University of New York (SUNY) Buffalo State University in 2022. At commencement, he was awarded the President’s Medal for Outstanding Undergraduate Student and delivered the undergraduate student address. In 2024, he earned his Master of Arts (MA) degree in music education at the Eastman School of Music.

Mr. Stanford has shared music with a wide range of learners. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, he led and co-taught early childhood music classes for learners between the ages of two and five years old. In 2022, he student-taught grades Pre-K through 10th grade at the International School of Siena in Siena, Italy. Then, while at Eastman, Mr. Stanford taught several community hand-drumming classes, working with students between the ages of five and 16. He also served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant (TA) for two courses at the Eastman School of Music.

Mr. Stanford has contributed literature in the forms of a co-published book chapter, a co-published research article, and a co-published practitioner research article. In 2024, he completed action research through his Master’s Field Project in music education which used a student’s preferred repertoire to teach improvisation through hand-drumming. This work is being prepared for publication.

Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, Mr. Stanford grew up in a musical home where he played piano, listened to the music of The Beatles and Van Morrison with his family, and created music with his siblings. He strives to create a similar welcoming environment in his classroom where all students can freely explore and create music, and is excited to continue his music teaching journey here at ACS Athens.

email: stanfordn@acs.gr