Nicole Vega is a Chilean violinist and passionate music educator whose work bridges the worlds of performance and pedagogy. Originally from Santiago, she has dedicated her career to nurturing young musicians and expanding access to quality music education.

Nicole’s teaching experience spans private instruction, orchestral leadership, and community outreach. While living in Temuco, Chile, she served as the music coordinator at a local high school, where she taught violin, viola, and conducted the school’s beginner orchestra. Her holistic approach to teaching focused on both individual growth and ensemble collaboration. Later, during her graduate studies at Florida State University, she was a member of the university’s graduate string quartet, which collaborated with Sinfonia Gulf Coast to present interactive educational performances in schools across the Destin area—bringing classical music to life through storytelling and audience engagement.

As a performer, Nicole maintains an active presence in both modern and historical performance circles. She earned her Bachelor’s degree at Montclair State University, studying with Mary Ann Mumm, and her Master’s degree at Florida State University, where she was the teaching assistant to Corinne Stillwell. She has performed in festivals such as Campos do Jordão (Brazil), Brevard Music Center (North Carolina), and was recently selected as a fellow for **Sphinx Ignite 2025**.

Nicole has also developed a strong profile in historical performance practice, studying baroque violin with Theresa Salomon and Karin Cuellar, and performing at festivals including Música Antigua FEMUSC (Brazil), Tafelmusik (Canada), Clarion Collegium Week (NYC), Festival de Música Antigua de Medellín (Colombia), Berwick Academy at the Oregon Bach Festival, the Baroque Performance Institute at Oberlin, and selected as a fellow by ARTEK in NYC in 2025 and 2026. Nicole continues to explore the intersection of education and performance, believing that both are essential to building meaningful, inclusive musical experiences.

Take private lessons with me if…

“You are looking for a way to express yourself other than with words.”

Solomon Jones was born in Boston, raised in Colorado and now based in Springfield, is focusing on his early career as an educator, professional bassist, producer and mix engineer. Finding his passion for teaching while attending Springfield High School of Science and Technology, he became a CMSS Sonido Musica intern in fall 2023, a Teaching Artist in 2024, and is now joining the Adaptive Music Program team for Fall 2025. He’s currently attending Holyoke Community College studying both education and music performance.

Growing up, Solomon moved around a lot, allowing him to experience a range of cultures and see many ways that people engage with music. These early formative experiences have shaped Solomon as a performer and educator. He is an active professional performer around Western Mass including at the Springfield Jazz and Roots Festival.

Tara Murphy earned her B.A. in theater and religious studies at Yale University, where she also began studying African dance. At this time Tara began exploring her heritage through African studies at Yale, and was awarded a fellowship to study traditional dance and drumming at the University of Legon in Ghana, West Africa. For the past 25 years, she has studied closely with many African and Afro-Caribbean artists in Washington, D.C., New York City and Boston. She recognizes the practice of African dance and drumming as a tremendous force for healing, meditation, empowerment and community. It is her greatest honor to share the inspiration of these ancient traditions. Tara teaches West African inspired dance and drumming for many programs within CMSS. She also shares therapeutic movement and drumming for many day programs for adults with disabilities, senior residences, recovery programs and mental health centers.