As a musician with diverse interests, Josh Massicot’s pursuits are unified and driven by one overarching aim: to communicate with others in meaningful and authentic ways. This lifelong passion is the guiding force and heartbeat of his artistic and professional endeavors.
A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Josh learned how to play the family’s piano by listening to the radio and his parents’ record collection of rock, blues, gospel, jazz, and classical albums. For as long as he can remember, he has strived to authentically interpret and create music with others in as many of these settings as possible. As a keyboardist, Josh has shared the stage with international touring acts. He has been a session musician and arranger for artists featured on NPR, KCRW, and SXSW. Josh has also been a laureate of international festivals and has performed both as a soloist and as a guest member with several major symphony orchestras. As a NY-based singer/songwriter, he has written, arranged, performed, and co-produced original music. Current projects include meticulously learning, arranging and performing the entire catalog of Jackson Browne’s music throughout Western NY and releasing the newest record with his original alt-Americana group, “Stella Hill”. “North Star”, an EP produced during the pandemic, blends traditional roots songwriting and CSNY-inspired four part vocal harmony with 20-piece string sections, vintage electric pianos and reverb-drenched guitars.
As a passionate educator, Josh has maintained a private studio and has served on the faculty of Nazareth College’s School of Music for the past fourteen years, where he teaches applied lessons, piano pedagogy, score reading, and class and functional piano. At the height of the pandemic, Josh was selected as the campus-wide recipient of the 2021 Nazareth College Teaching Excellence Award. A passionate advocate for the development of functional keyboard skills, Josh’s grant-funded research and publications have helped shape standards at colleges and universities throughout the country. His textbook, Functional Piano for Music Therapists and Music Educators: An Exploration of Styles, is published through Barcelona Publishers and is currently being utilized as a required text for students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate music therapy and music education programs domestically and internationally. As a result of this work, Josh has been invited to share his approach at regional and national workshops and conferences, including the American Music Therapy Association National Conference and the Music Teachers National Association.
In addition to making and teaching music, Josh is Senior Production Manager at Concerts at Point of the Bluff Vineyards, a boutique summer concert series in Western NY that overlooks picturesque Keuka Lake. He assists in planning, staffing, and oversees all aspects of day-of-operations for some of the biggest international touring acts and artists in the world: Bruce Hornsby, The Mavericks, Sarah Jarosz, The Indigo Girls, Richard Thompson, Steve Earle, and America.
Josh Massicot received both the Bachelor of Music Degree in Applied Music (Piano) and the Master of Music Degree in Music Education from the Eastman School of Music, with additional studies in Dalcroze Eurhythmics and Orff-Schulwerk. He lives with his wife, a string specialist, public school teacher, and exceptional singer, in the City of Rochester’s vibrant and diverse Swillburg neighborhood.
School of Music Responsibilities
Education