Inspire Your Students with Music and Creativity
My mission: to spread joy and creativity to all generations with genre-defying music.
Hi, I’m Nate Hance! My mission is to spread joy and curiosity through music, and I love bringing that passion into the classroom. In my programs, I connect with students through interactive performances that explore a wide range of musical genres, student song requests, creative mashups, and even unique ways of playing the piano—yes, I even play backwards or upside down!
Whether it’s a short performance, a hands-on workshop, or a multi-day residency, I work with educators to customize each program to fit your students’ interests and learning goals. My goal is to make music exciting, accessible, and unforgettable for every student. Let’s create something truly inspiring together!
Videos from past educational performances and programs
Featured Performance at International Music Camp for Piano Week. Playing Bohemian Rhapsody, but changing the genre to ragtime!
Highlights from my Educational Performance at Horizon Middle School in Moorhead, MN. These are so much fun for me and the students!
Reviews
“Nate Hance performed a concert for us at the International Music Camp this past summer for our campers ages 10-18 as well as the general public. Nate kept everyone engaged and provided a concert that was educational and entertaining. Several campers commented that his concert was their favorite part of the week! We hope to have him back at IMC again someday!”
-Christine Baumann (Director, International Music Camp)
"I had the unique and distinct pleasure of hosting Nate Hance at Horizon Middle School in Moorhead, MN in the spring of 2024. His musical mastery is without question, his humor was on point, and he can relate to students of all ages. In addition, was very flexible with scheduling and communication and was simply easy and enjoyable to work with behind the scenes. His focus on making a career from music and innovations there and on social media are relevant and interesting to students as well as his endless combinations of mashups of popular songs and genres. I would recommend his concise yet effective presentation to any school, teacher, or student, and I would enjoy welcoming him back to a new crop of students in a future year."
-Tim Pipinich
Director of Bands at Horizon Middle School (Moorhead, MN)
Viral Instagram Videos and New Stories
Feature story on Fox9 (Mpls/St. Paul) about Nate’s backwards and upside-down piano playing at MSP airport.
Nate’s Little Mermaid medley live at MSP airport
Nate’s viral Instagram video where he improvised a ragtime Harry Potter as requested by a passenger at the airport
787k views, 43.4k likes, 14.6k shares
Nate’s viral Instagram video where he invited airport passengers to change the style he played Rondo alla Turca every 15 seconds!
162k views, 10.9k likes, 1.6k shares
Some favorite social media comments from the viral Instagram videos above
Find Nate’s Daily Creations on Social Media
Bio
Nate Hance is a Twin Cities-based pianist, composer, and entertainer and a Minot, ND native. From a young age, Nate discovered a love of sharing the joy of music with others. As a shy kid, he was most comfortable sitting at the piano and connecting with people through music. He always knew he wanted to pursue a career in music, so he went to college for music composition at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. While there, he discovered a knack for performing and was selected to perform Britten's Piano Concerto with the Concordia Orchestra.
After college, he performed around the world on cruise ships, playing for guest entertainers, production shows, top 40 dance sets, ballroom dancing, and everything in between. When he returned to land, he established his music business, sharing his talents with live audiences of all kinds and expressing his creativity by writing unique medleys, mashups, and original music. He has also worked to perfect his piano tricks, where he plays piano backwards and upside down!
He plays over 300 gigs each year for numerous audiences, but his favorites remain providing a few moments of respite for stressed travelers at the MSP Airport, entertaining seniors at nursing homes, playing jazz with the Nate Hance Trio, and putting twists on classic songs with Cocktail Combo. Follow Nate’s creative endeavors on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, where he’s always experimenting with new ways to explore and share his craft.
Tech Rider
Sound: I can bring all sound and music equipment if needed. But if you would rather provide, I won’t decline!
What I use: a tuned piano or full-size keyboard, vocal mic and boom stand if in a large area
Visual: Projector Screen or large TV if you have it! If not, no worries!