Niki Weidner, M.Ed., BCCS is a lifelong musician with over 20 years of learning, playing, and performing, and nearly a decade of teaching music.
Niki started her formal music journey when she was 6 on piano with her teacher, Terry Granick (and therefore a "grand-student" of Michael Chertock, CSO Pianist and BAMSO Conductor). During her time in lessons, she earned Superior ratings at OMTA Southwest District Auditions Festivals 6 years in a row, was a 3-time OMTASW District Honors Recital performer (including a solo performance at the Aronoff Center), completed multiple Royal Conservatory of Music piano and music theory exams with highest Honours scores, performed in annual fundraising recitals for Ronald McDonald House of Cincinnati, played keys for student ministry worship band at her church, and performed a solo recital for the Keyboard Club of Cincinnati. She switched to guitar when she was 12 with Phil Pike, and continued self-teaching and songwriting throughout her teen years.
As she transitioned to high school, Niki also took up the trombone and conducting with Phil Pike and Jim Yost. She was Assistant Principal Trombonist for the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra under Dale Swisher and Timothy Holt, which also performed annual side-by-side concerts with the Blue Ash-Montgomery Symphony Orchestra. She won the CSYO Conducting Competition senior year and rehearsed with and directed the Orchestra in the national anthem.
She enjoyed volunteering in the musical instrument petting zoo, playing trombone for attendees of the Cincinnati Pops Lollipops Concerts for young children. She also was a member of the West Chester Homeschool Advanced Band.
She was also highly involved in the arts at her church, where she was the student ministry worship leader; a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist for the worship band/orchestra; and founder and director of the interpretive dance team for K-6th grade girls. Her most memorable time was being the student conductor and president of its 20-singer, nationally-touring youth choir, performing each summer in major cities including Washington, D.C., New York City, Orlando, and Nashville.
To round out the high school chapter of her musical career, Niki was one of 12 high school-college students selected globally to attend the extremely competitive Boston University Tanglewood Institute summer trombone program. She graduated magna cum laude from Hosanna Homeschool Academy and Christian Home Educators of Cincinnati.
Niki moved to Anderson University South Carolina School of the Arts for her freshman year of college, where she studied music, was involved in West African Ensemble and AU Choir, studied jazz guitar with Bruce Helgeson, and was Principal Trombonist of AU Wind Symphony.
She transferred to Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana her sophomore year and graduated there as a Distinguished Scholar with her B.S. in Psychology and Music. During her time there, she was involved in music therapy; studied classical guitar with Michael Walter; held First Chair of IWU Guitar Ensemble; was an Alto II in IWU Women's Chorus & Bell Choir; was classical guitarist and sackbuttist of IWU Early Music Ensemble; and held several on-campus roles including student researcher, private music teacher at IWU Community Music Academy, Stage Hand, Vice President of Music Therapy Student Organization, and Division of Music tutor. She also studied music therapy and music education abroad in Jamaica with the State University of New York-Potsdam the summer between junior/senior year.
After undergrad, Niki earned her M.Ed. in Education as a Graduate with High Distinction from Liberty University and was a faculty member of a local major music lessons school. Niki left her faculty position to focus on growing Evergreen Music School (formerly named NW Music Studio) full-time, which was started with just 2 online students in May 2020.
Since Evergreen was established, Niki has served as Treasurer and Vice President of Communications for OMTASW District. She was awarded the 2023 Ohio Music Teachers Association Teacher Scholarship, allowing her to earn her Board Certified Cognitive Specialist (BCCS) credential from IBCCES and officially demonstrate her experience, training, and ongoing dedication to serving neurodivergent students in the independent music education field.
She has been interviewed and featured in 2024 by Homeschool Legal Defense Association as an Outstanding Homeschooler. Evergreen was named a top-3 finalist 4 years in a row and the 2021 winner of the Greater Cincinnati Family Choice Awards by Cincy Magazine, and a top-3 finalist of 2022's Best of the North by Cincy Magazine. She's previously been a member of Greater Cincinnati Guitar Society Classical Guitar Ensemble, UC Community Band, Wyoming Winds, and her current church's worship team.
Niki is currently a member of Keyboard Teachers Association and the Keyboard Club of Cincinnati, and takes cello lessons with Kat Aguiar. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, swimming, drawing, being with friends and family, volunteering with her church and Dress a Girl ministry, and exploring libraries and bookstores.
Niki started her formal music journey when she was 6 on piano with her teacher, Terry Granick (and therefore a "grand-student" of Michael Chertock, CSO Pianist and BAMSO Conductor). During her time in lessons, she earned Superior ratings at OMTA Southwest District Auditions Festivals 6 years in a row, was a 3-time OMTASW District Honors Recital performer (including a solo performance at the Aronoff Center), completed multiple Royal Conservatory of Music piano and music theory exams with highest Honours scores, performed in annual fundraising recitals for Ronald McDonald House of Cincinnati, played keys for student ministry worship band at her church, and performed a solo recital for the Keyboard Club of Cincinnati. She switched to guitar when she was 12 with Phil Pike, and continued self-teaching and songwriting throughout her teen years.
As she transitioned to high school, Niki also took up the trombone and conducting with Phil Pike and Jim Yost. She was Assistant Principal Trombonist for the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra under Dale Swisher and Timothy Holt, which also performed annual side-by-side concerts with the Blue Ash-Montgomery Symphony Orchestra. She won the CSYO Conducting Competition senior year and rehearsed with and directed the Orchestra in the national anthem.
She enjoyed volunteering in the musical instrument petting zoo, playing trombone for attendees of the Cincinnati Pops Lollipops Concerts for young children. She also was a member of the West Chester Homeschool Advanced Band.
She was also highly involved in the arts at her church, where she was the student ministry worship leader; a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist for the worship band/orchestra; and founder and director of the interpretive dance team for K-6th grade girls. Her most memorable time was being the student conductor and president of its 20-singer, nationally-touring youth choir, performing each summer in major cities including Washington, D.C., New York City, Orlando, and Nashville.
To round out the high school chapter of her musical career, Niki was one of 12 high school-college students selected globally to attend the extremely competitive Boston University Tanglewood Institute summer trombone program. She graduated magna cum laude from Hosanna Homeschool Academy and Christian Home Educators of Cincinnati.
Niki moved to Anderson University South Carolina School of the Arts for her freshman year of college, where she studied music, was involved in West African Ensemble and AU Choir, studied jazz guitar with Bruce Helgeson, and was Principal Trombonist of AU Wind Symphony.
She transferred to Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana her sophomore year and graduated there as a Distinguished Scholar with her B.S. in Psychology and Music. During her time there, she was involved in music therapy; studied classical guitar with Michael Walter; held First Chair of IWU Guitar Ensemble; was an Alto II in IWU Women's Chorus & Bell Choir; was classical guitarist and sackbuttist of IWU Early Music Ensemble; and held several on-campus roles including student researcher, private music teacher at IWU Community Music Academy, Stage Hand, Vice President of Music Therapy Student Organization, and Division of Music tutor. She also studied music therapy and music education abroad in Jamaica with the State University of New York-Potsdam the summer between junior/senior year.
After undergrad, Niki earned her M.Ed. in Education as a Graduate with High Distinction from Liberty University and was a faculty member of a local major music lessons school. Niki left her faculty position to focus on growing Evergreen Music School (formerly named NW Music Studio) full-time, which was started with just 2 online students in May 2020.
Since Evergreen was established, Niki has served as Treasurer and Vice President of Communications for OMTASW District. She was awarded the 2023 Ohio Music Teachers Association Teacher Scholarship, allowing her to earn her Board Certified Cognitive Specialist (BCCS) credential from IBCCES and officially demonstrate her experience, training, and ongoing dedication to serving neurodivergent students in the independent music education field.
She has been interviewed and featured in 2024 by Homeschool Legal Defense Association as an Outstanding Homeschooler. Evergreen was named a top-3 finalist 4 years in a row and the 2021 winner of the Greater Cincinnati Family Choice Awards by Cincy Magazine, and a top-3 finalist of 2022's Best of the North by Cincy Magazine. She's previously been a member of Greater Cincinnati Guitar Society Classical Guitar Ensemble, UC Community Band, Wyoming Winds, and her current church's worship team.
Niki is currently a member of Keyboard Teachers Association and the Keyboard Club of Cincinnati, and takes cello lessons with Kat Aguiar. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, swimming, drawing, being with friends and family, volunteering with her church and Dress a Girl ministry, and exploring libraries and bookstores.