Our presenters are curated for their quality, depth, integrity, and alignment with our educational purpose. Since 1982, a distinguished faculty of authors, educators, activists, artists, performers, and practitioners have shared their work at our Cortes Island campus and in Vancouver.
Nick Demeris
Nick Demeris is a two time TEDx participant (speaker and host), actor, singer, and facilitator of community building through music, turning audiences into orchestras all around the globe.
In his fourth year as a singer, creator, and teaching artist at Carnegie Hall in New York City, Nick works with master musicians, Public School teachers, aspiring artists, and young people in the juvenile justice system, to improvise, write, produce, and record original music: National Youth Orchestra (USA), Boston Children’s Chorus, Commedia Dell’Opera – OTOYOTOY, ITAC 4, Future Music Project, and member of Moving Star Ensemble.
Nick travels the globe performing original music and teaching #humaninstruments workshops at retreats and conferences internationally. In the last three years alone he has toured this work to China, Thailand, Guatemala, Australia, Canada, Mexico, India, Denmark, Portugal, Hawaii, Colombia, Germany, and all across the U.S. He has worked with Carnegie Hall, UNICEF, Target, Apple, Ogilvy & Mather, Spotify, Guild Mortgage, BGM (China), ITAC, Purpose Campaigns, Accept Email, the Big Quiet, 100kin10, the University of Chicago, University of Minnesota, Illinois State University, Love the 88, Esalen Institute, the Omega Institute, the World Social Forum (Montreal), Mixed Blood Theatre, Arena Stage, Shakespeare & Company, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Paramount Theatre, Sydney Children’s Hospital (Australia) and Sesame Street (HBO).
Nick holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theatre from Illinois State University. He studied clown with Paola Coletto (Jacques Lecoq alumni teacher) for two years, and has completed All the Way In, the year long training in jazz and vocal improvisation, with master singer Rhiannon (member of Bobby McFerrin’s Gimme 5), and is a three time participant in Bobby McFerrin’s weeklong Circle Songs training where he also has led workshops.